RIDER DRIVEN SNOWBOARDING
THIRTYTWO.COM
KERKELA PHIL HANSEN
TONI
NOBODY NEAR ME HERE, BUT RATS, AND THEY ARE FINE STEALTHY SECRET FELLOWS.
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- Charles Dickens
BRADY LEM, FS180
PHOTO: MIKE HEIKKILA
5 reasons to visit Belgium
1. A Frituur (where you get your fries and fried snacks)
2. Loads of good beer
3. All kinds of world class festivals
4. Beautiful old architecture
5. Lots of skateparks
5 snowboarders you’re hyped on
1. Kevin Backstrom
2. Tor Lundstrom
3. Mark McMorris
4. Mikkel Bang
5. Arthur Longo
5 things about DC
1. Have had my back since day 1
2. Diamond rings
3. OG
4. Forever grateful for their support
5. I might have a shoe addiction because of them.
5 things about Giro
1. Vivid lenses with optics by ZEISS to see in any weather
2. Good looking goggles
3. Easy lens changes
4. Comfortable helmets
5. Great cycling gear too
5 things about BYNDXMDLS
1. Homies for life
2. By boarders for boarders
3. Got each other’s back on and o snow
4. We like to have a good time rst
5. Best hoodies
5 essential items to have on the road
1. Phone
2. Passport
3. Wallet
4. Car keys
5. Water
5 things about Lorenzo Peters
1. Easy going
2. Always chilling
3. Good at ping pong
4. Bad loser
5. He can nollie tre bomb
5 things to do at a party besides drinking
1. Talk about why you’re not drinking
2. Dancing
3. Listening to the music
4. Drive your friends home
5. Remembering your night
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SWITCH BS180
PHOTO: ALEX ROBERTS
5 items for a good night out:
1. Sporty shoes, so you can dance easily all night long.
2. Some clothes that make you feel “ y”.
3. Ear plugs.
4. USB stick with your tunes in case you can take over the music.
5. Fanny pack with essentials of your choice.
5 things about Funky Snowboards:
1. The brand was founded in 1982 and belongs to the pioneer history of snowboarding.
2. Craftsmanship is a central
aspect of the brand. Quality comes rst!
3. Todd Richards used to ride Funky Snowboards.
4. The Funky “Donut Rodeo” is the most important competition on this planet. If you know, you know.
5. “The Guardian”, hosted by Funky Snowboards, is an even more important event than the Donut Rodeo.
5 things about Lucas Baume:
1. He can be extremely stupid but is actually extremely smart.
2. He is a self-made CEO!!!
3. He loves fast food.
4. He can techno shu e (the kind of dancing).
5. He ts twice in his pants.
5 tips for staying loose on a board:
1. Don’t plan anything and Trust your intuition
2. Fly out t.
3. Merino underwear.
4. Bend your knees.
5. Go partying the night before.
5 inspirational humans:
1. My mother.
2. My lover.
3. Yungdoli.
4. James Niederberger.
5. All my other family and friends in no particular order (5 people are not enough).
5 things about DJing:
1. Always bring your needles when you spin vinyls (I still have to learn that).
2. If you’re a DJ don’t use shazam, ask the DJ.
3. Never request tracks.
4. It’s a beautiful activity to connect with people and see new places.
5. You don’t need to take drugs to be a DJ.
5 things about Escape:
1. It’s a family!!!
2. Lou (the lmer) is the mommy of Escape, he takes care of almost everything (trips, premieres etc…).
3. Florian Fischer used to be the worst at shovelling, but he has progressed impressively.
4. Gian Sutter is my dictionary of spots and tricks that have already been done.
5. It’s Swiss made quality when it comes to preparing a spot.
5 things about having a moustache:
1. It needs some self-con dence to start a moustache because people will comment on it.
2. Use a single blade to make it look perfect.
3. At least somebody will think that you look like a pornstar.
4. You touch your moustache when you think deeply.
5. I had a moustache when I was 11 years old.
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PHOTO: TATU TOIVANEN
They were done while sitting at dinner on a Method trip last winter. He did them while looking at his subjects but not looking at the paper he was drawing on.
We’d planned to use these as graphic elements for the Alaïa-Ay-Ay story in the previous issue, but our Art Director didn’t see the folder we sent him and laid out the story without them. He’s only human, and these things happen. By the time we realised we’d forgotten them, it would have taken a lot of work to undo the graphics and remake everything, so we decided to put them here instead. Sorry Moritz, we know this isn’t what we originally planned, but we still think these are rad and are glad we could still print them, even if it’s not in the right place.
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Featured in these abstract portraits are Markus Olimstad, Christian Bjønness, Fridge, Moritz Amsüss and Theo Acworth. They were all drawn by Moritz, except the one of himself, which was drawn by Fridge.
LOUIF PARADIS, BOARDSLIDE
EXPECT IT ANY OTHER WAY.
QUÉBEC. WE WOULDN’T
TOP TO BOTTOM IN
LOUIF, MID-BOARD FROM
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PHOTO: OLI GAGNON
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My bag’s pretty stacked when I’m shooting in the park or backcountry. I used to roll lighter before shooting video, but hey, I just love it, so I deal with the sore back. Nikon has always been my #1 camera for all professional photo needs. I just nd that I love the image quality, colors and controls so much on those cameras, so I’d probably never really switch. I usually roll around with a Nikon speedlight and pocket wizards as well, but I haven’t been during park days so much lately. The Fuji X100V is becoming one of
my favorite cameras. It’s so fun and easy to shoot. I get to shoot in JPEG monochrome since it has all these amazing lm simulations built in, so there is no real post-processing time attached when shooting with that. I pretty much have that camera around my neck at all times. Needless to talk much about the super8, those cameras just produce such a classic nostalgia look and feel to anything you shoot, and it’s just so ful lling when you’re using it. You can snag them o eBay, just make sure it works before buying.
Shimoda backpack.
Cameras:
Nikon D850
Canon 514XL super8
Fuji X100V
Sony FX3
Lenses:
Nikorr 70-200 2.8
Nikorr 24-70 2.8
Nikorr 16MM Fish
Sony 70-200 2.8
Sigma 24-70 2.8
Manfrotto Tripod
Radio
Seltzer water
Bunch of video camera accessories (batteries, nd’s, memory cards, tools, mounts, lm)
Some sort of fruit for lunch
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PHOTO: JEFF URBAHN
*Make sure to check out Mike’s portfolio later in the mag. He’s scary good.
Big pants, big swag. Henna Ikola is a true G, both on and o the board. Her playlist takes us on a journey through Finnish rock, R&B, Finnish trap [we didn’t know that was a thing, but it de nitely is], and some other genres we’re not quite sure how to describe. Henna is at the forefront of the next generation of Finnish street riders, taking down spots with the perfect combo of steeze and smiles. Don’t know about you, but we can’t wait to see what this ripper does next.
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PHOTO: ALEX ROBERTS
POWERED BY THE RIVER AND THE SUN
HANDCRAFTED WITH 100% CLEAN ENERGY. ZERO CO2 Emissions ZERO Ozone Depletion Potential ZERO Global Warming Potential
What was your reason for making Invisible Ground?
When Xavier and I both almost simultaneously experienced tragic avalanche accidents, we were forced to question our role as professional athletes and advocates for freeriding, as well as our own approach to it.
What did you set out to achieve with the lm?
Against the backdrop of our experience, I wanted to make a lm with Xavier that engages in these questions around risk-taking in a way that is neither glorifying nor condemning it. But instead, draw an honest picture of the subject as much as possible and hopefully also encourage a safer and more balanced approach to freeriding.
What are the biggest di erences between Xavier’s mindset and approach to the mountains and yours?
While I personally nd more joy in a playful approach to snowboarding, Xavier loves the adventure of accessing terrain no one’s been in
before and riding majestic lines.
Did you have any unexpected revelations or changes in opinion during the lming process?
I could feel and understand Xavier and his motivation to do what he does a lot better after our conversations and the time we’ve spent together. While we are quite di erent characters, I do really like and appreciate him.
How do you nd the balance of being both director and protagonist in the lm?
That’s de nitely quite a challenge while lming, with so much going on at the same time. On the contrary, however, being also in front of the camera also gives me the chance to steer the conversation and narrative in the direction I’d like to see the lm going. So, in the end, I think it’s a bit of both. A bit too much to handle at times, but then also really helpful in the making of the lm.
Have you reached any new conclusions about your position or relationship to the backcountry?
Well I do think that we can nd a fairly reasonable and balanced approach to this sport we love so much. Firstly, we’ve got to engage in all the know-how, of course, but then also continuously question and challenge our own motivation for our riding. One of those questions could be whether we want to prove ourselves out there and how that adds to our willingness to take risks.
Last words are yours:
I want to thank everyone who’s brought this project to life: First and foremost, Xavier, who’s been so welcoming and open to sharing his thoughts. To Chris and Phil Kaar, who’ve been lming and editing this lm with their unique style. And to Picture and Smith for supporting our vision here. And after all, this goes out to you, to the Methodmag readers and maybe eventually also to the viewers of the lm: Let’s enjoy this beautiful sport together, but let’s also continuously reconsider our motivations and decisions in order to nd the right balance to be safe out there.
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METHOD 23.3
INTERVIEW WITH ELIAS ELHARDT PHOTO: THEO ACWORTH
Magnetic Lens Changing System
Swiftlock Release Lever
BROCK
CROUCH / Icon / LL Red Ion
Dragon by Marchon ©2022 Marchon Eyewear Inc.
ALL HAIL THE ALPS! THIS MOUNTAIN RANGE LIKE NO OTHER, CONNECTS SEVEN COUNTRIES FROM THE SEAS TO THE HIGHEST SUMMIT OF THE CONTINENT.
IN FEBRUARY, WE WERE ON TOUR FROM TIGNES TO INNSBRUCK, PASSING BY ANDERMATT, ENGELBERG & THE ARLBERG-PASS, WITH AN ECLECTIC CREW. SEVERIN VAN DER MEER HAS BEEN OUR SPECIAL HOST AROUND SWITZERLAND. THE STREETHEADS PIERRE SCAFIDI & BASTIEN STURMA WERE REPRESENTING BRUST STUDIO, THE TWO INNSBRUCK HOT LOCALS THOMAS ENK & PHILIPP HECHENBERGER, AND MIKKO REHNBERG FROM FINLAND, FOR HIS VERY FIRST POWDER TRIP.
YOU’LL SEE NO BIG BOOTERS HERE, THE CREW WAS COMMITTED TO STICK TO NATURAL SPOTS AND SIDE HITS. NOT ONLY FOR A MATTER OF PURISM, BUT BECAUSE IT’S WAY MORE FUN AND EASY GOING THIS WAY. CHEERS, HERE COMES THE ROAD!
METHOD 23.3
WORDS, PHOTOS & ARTWORK: MAXIME RAMOUL
PHILIPP HECHENBERGER, OLLIE
SINCERELY YOURS 41
MIKKO REHNBERG, STALEFISH
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PIERRE SCAFIDI, BLUNT POP OUT
THOMAS ENK, TURNS
23.2 SINCERELY YOURS 43 SEVEY, SLASH
BASTIEN & MO
KRISTIAN SKJØMMING & RASMUS RÖNKA BACKFLIP & GUITAR SOLO
IF YOU’RE A STREET SNOWBOARD NERD LIKE US, YOU PROBABLY HAVE NOTICED THAT DURING THIS INFAMOUS 2022 WINTER, AT SOME POINT, AN UNCOUNTABLE NUMBER OF CREWS WENT TO HELSINKI. WE REALLY TRIED TO GO TO OTHER PLACES AS WELL, POLAND FOR INSTANCE WAS ON THE LIST - NO SNOW. ESTONIA, WE WOULD HAVE LOVED IT - NO SNOW. UKRAINE WAS REALLY SOMEWHERE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT AS WELL BUT FOR OBVIOUS UNFORTUNATE REASONS, WE COULDN’T MAKE IT. SO GUESS WHAT, WE WENT TO HELSINKI TOO.
SO YEAH. THIS YEAR, HELSINKI, IS MORE THAN EVER ON THE SNOWBOARD MAP, GETTING ALL THE ATTENTION THAT ITS BOILING LOCAL SCENE DESERVES. THEY SAY THERE’S SOMETHING IN THE WATER HERE, AS FINLAND HAS GIVEN US SOME OF THE GREATEST LEGENDS OF OUR CULTURE, WITHOUT ANY MOUNTAINS IN THE COUNTRY.
FUNNY THING, SOME OF THE BEST SHREDDERS YOU CAN FIND AROUND HERE, HAVE NEVER BEEN ON A POWDER DAY IN THEIR LIFE [PROPS TO OUR MAN JONATHAN[. SNOWBOARDING HERE IS CLOSER TO SOME KIND OF WINTER SKATEBOARDING, RATHER THAN A MOUNTAINEER THING. THAT GIVES YOU DEDICATED RIDERS, WHO ENDURE SOME OF THE HARDEST CONDITIONS, BETWEEN ICY -30°C SNOWPARKS AND THE STREET CONCRETE.
THE PHOTOS ON THIS SPREAD AND THE NEXT ONE ARE FROM OUR TWELVE-DAY TRIP IN THE HOME COUNTRY OF MIKKO REHNBERG, OUR ‘NEVER-SEEN-A-MOUNTAIN’ GUY JONATHAN BEGLEY, AND A NICE PAIR OF NORWEGIAN RIPPERS CALLED SAMUEL ÆRØ AND KRISTIAN SKJØMMING.
THERE’S NO SNOW ANYWHERE, ABSOLUTE SPRING FOR ALL, GO TO HEL!
JONATHAN BEGLEY, BOARDSLIDE
JONATHAN BEGLEY
SAMUEL ÆRØ
FS 50-50
SAMUEL ÆRØ
KRISTIAN SKJØMMING & MIKKO REHNBERN
KRISTIAN SKJØMMING, NOSEPRESS
MIKKO REHNBERG HALFCAB WALLRIDE
LOUIS LABERTRANDE, FS 50-50
LOUIS LABERTRANDE & BASTIEN STURMA
TWO TRAINS, THREE PLANES, A BUS, AND AN HOUR’S RENTAL CAR DRIVE. THAT’S WHAT IT TOOK FOR ME TO REACH THIS PLACE FROM MY FRENCH HOMETOWN. THAT’S WHAT IT TAKES TO REACH SUCH WILD PLACES, TO GET LOST IN THE KIND OF NATURE THAT MAKES YOU FEEL SMALL AND GRATEFUL TO BE ALIVE.
TO ME IT’S BEEN SURPRISING TO FIND A CITY THIS BIG, SO FAR ABOVE THE ARCTIC CIRCLE. NARVIK AS A SETTLEMENT, BEGAN IN THE BRONZE AGE AND GREW EVER SINCE AS AN IMPORTANT TRADING HARBOUR. FIRST, BECAUSE THERE’S IRON AND NICKEL DEPOSITS EVERYWHERE AROUND, AND SECONDLY, BECAUSE THIS VERY FJORD DOESN’T FREEZE IN THE WINTER TIME, THANKS TO THE GULFSTREAM, KEEPING THE WATER WARMER THAN ELSEWHERE.
I TELL YOU, THOSE FJORDS ARE SOMETHING TO SEE ONCE IN A LIFETIME. BUT FOR US, A SNOWBOARDING FILM CREW, SOMETHING IS MISSING AS WE ARRIVE. SOMETHING ESSENTIAL. SNOW. IT’S THE 21ST OF MARCH, AND AT THIS MOMENT OF THE YEAR, THIS FAR NORTH ABOVE THE ARCTIC CIRCLE, IT’S NOT A COMMON THING TO WALK IN THE MUD. OUR HOMEBOY SAM SUMS IT UP IN A FEW WORDS: THIS IS CRAZY.
SO YEAH, THIS TRIP STARTED WITH SOME FRUSTRATION. IT WASN’T THE POSTCARD LANDSCAPE WE WERE EXPECTING, AND OF COURSE IT MAKES OUR JOB HARDER. BUT, IT’S NOT ENOUGH FOR US TO LOSE OUR MOTIVATION. AND APPARENTLY, THERE’S SOME ABANDONED MINE SOMEWHERE UP THERE, SO LET’S MAKE THE BEST OF IT.
METHOD 23.3 SINCERELY YOURS 49
MARIA HILDE 50-50
THERE WE GO, THE ROOF IS ON FIRE, NO EXCUSES ANYMORE, LET’S DROP A CHURCHILL QUOTE, BECAUSE WHY NOT: “LOOK TO NARVIK!”
THE REASON WE’RE IN NARVIK IS SAMUEL ÆRØ, BORN AND RAISED HERE, WHO WE COULDN’T THANK ENOUGH FOR THIS EXPERIENCE. THE MAN HOSTED US IN HIS GRANDMOTHER’S HOUSE, PROVIDED US WITH TWO CARS, LINKED US UP WITH THE LOCAL RESORT, AND MADE SURE THAT WE DIDN’T MISS ANY SPOTS. THE POOR GUY ENDED UP THE TRIP WITH A TORN ACL. A PAINFUL RECALL ABOUT HOW UNGRATEFUL THE SNOWBOARDER’S LIFE CAN BE. SHOUTOUT TO HIM.
HOW GOOD DOES IT FEEL, TO FIRST STRUGGLE IN THE COLD WITH A BLUE WHALE SIZED DOWNRAIL, FINALLY LAND IT THE WAY YOU WANT, AND HAVING THE NEIGHBOURING OLD LADY BRINGING YOU FRESH HOMEMADE CINNAMON ROLLS WITH A BAG FULL OF SODA CANS? ASK LOUIS.
METHOD 23.3
LOUIS LABERTRANDE, BS 50-50
23.2 SINCERELY YOURS 51
SAMUEL ÆRØ, GAP FS LIPSLIDE
KRISTIAN SKJØMMING SW FS NOSEBLUNT TO REVERT
WORDS: LEA BAUMSCHLAGER & KLAUS
Sûrreal is the name of a film project created by a group of European based female snowboarders [Pili de la Cruz, Maria Kuzma, Mary Luggen, Tini Gruber, Sophia ‘Klaus’ Schroll, Celia Petrig, Sarka Pancochova and Lea Baumschlager]. We are a mixed bunch of ladies whose common ground is that we don’t see snowboarding as a competitive element but as a unifying one. There is a shortage of female snowboarders, especially in Europe, who are working together on film projects. We want to gain a foothold and leave a female mark in this male-dominated field.
LEA BAUMSCHLAGER
PHOTO: THEO ACWORTH
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The Surreal Crew has been filming the last two winter seasons in the backcountry and streets all across Austria, Italy and Switzerland.
The title already reveals an unusual aspect of snowboarding: the project is a fusion of sport and art that portrays the aesthetics of snowboarding. The contrast of the “surreal “, yet at the same time “so real“ in this sport, serves as foundation. Snowboarding is put into a different perspective that leaves behind the “disenchantment” of the sport caused by an increasing focus on performance.
KLAUS, FRONTBOARD
PHOTO: VERNON DECK
PILI DE LA CRUZ, FS 5-0
PHOTO: KRISTIN LUDWIG
TINI GRUBER, BLUNT FAKIE
23.3 SURREAL 53
PHOTO: KRISTIN LUDWIG
There is an aesthetic-artistic core in the structure of sports, which this project playfully tries to visualise. In freestyle snowboarding, an artificial world is created without any limits to one’s own ideas. In this “surreal sphere”, there is a dissolution of dream and reality. Surrealism describes a direction in modern art, literature and film that is based on the unconscious, on dreams and fantasies. In the foreground is the idea that an objectively given external reality does not exist.
LEA BAUMSCHLAGER, BOARDSLIDE PHOTO: FELIX PIRKER
VALERIA BARTUAL, INDY LIPSLIDE
PHOTO: MIRIAM LOTTES
BABS BABSHOORN, FS 50-50
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PHOTO: MIRIAM LOTTES
Instead, everything conceived as real is a manifestation of one’s own unconscious, as also emerges from Freud’s psychoanalytical theories. Dreams, urges, desires and feelings of the subconscious serve as inspiration. Therefore, surrealist artists often use quick and spontaneous drawing techniques in order to be distracted as little as possible from their rational considerations.
MARY LUGGEN, FS AIR
PHOTO: SYO VAN DORNAN
LEA BAUMSCHLAGER, UNDERFLIP 540
23.3 SURREAL 55
PHOTO: FELIX PIRKER
This is found analogously in snowboarding: a snowboard can be seen as an art tool that moves very spontaneously and intuitively. Movements are adapted to changing conditions, speed and power. Each trick expresses the artist’s momentary feelings.
56 METHOD
KLAUS, OLLIE
PHOTO: THEO ACWORTH
MARIA KUZMA
PHOTO: MATT MCHATTIE
LEA BAUMSCHLAGER & KLAUS
PHOTO: THEO ACWORTH
On the mountain, a new, alienated terrain emerges and serves as a canvas. Here, out-of-place obstacles, shapes and structures are found and put in a new context. The given reality changes through the eyes of a snowboarder. Sky and ground exchange their places. What is the dream, and what is reality?
23.3 SURREAL 57
KLAUS, SHROOM TAP
PHOTO: KRISTIN LUDWIG
KLAUS, BOARDSLIDE PHOTO: PIA BERCHTOLD
“MIKAELA SAID YES TO THE PROJECT WHILE STILL LEARNING TO RIDE AND GOING ON HER FIRST EVER SNOWBOARD TRIPS. THAT WAS SO COOL TO WATCH. IT WAS A LOT TO DIVE INTO A SPACE THAT’S ENTIRELY NEW, AND I WAS OVERWHELMED FOR HER, BUT SHE DID IT WITH SUCH CONFIDENCE. SHE WAS SO READY TO TELL A STORY THAT HADN’T BEEN TOLD, IN A WAY THAT WAS REALLY GENUINE. SHE REALLY CARRIED THIS THING AND DID SOMETHING I DON’T THINK LITERALLY ANYONE ELSE COULD DO. WE’RE LUCKY, IN MY OPINION, AS SNOWBOARDERS, TO HAVE HAD SOMEONE LIKE MIKAELA COME IN AND MAKE SUCH A BEAUTIFUL THING AT A TIME WHEN NOTHING LIKE IT REALLY EXISTED.
FROM THE BOTTOM OF ONE’S HEART WAS SO GENUINE. I THINK ANYONE CAN SEE THAT PRETTY QUICKLY FROM WATCHING IT. MIKAELA WORKED SO HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT THE RIGHT PEOPLE WERE INVOLVED AND THE RIGHT STORIES AND VOICES WERE BEING SHARED. SHE WAS SO COMMITTED TO IT. I WAS SO HAPPY TO BE A PART OF THIS IN THE SMALL WAYS THAT I WAS. SO MUCH OF IT IS HER VISION, AND SHE ABSOLUTELY NAILED IT. HOPEFULLY IT SPARKS SOME MORE THINGS LIKE IT. THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE RIGHT NOW WHO ARE MORE INTERESTED IN A ACCESSIBLE WITH-YOUR-FRIENDS KIND OF SNOWBOARDING. NOTHING DISPLAYS THAT BETTER THAN WHAT MIKAELA MADE AND WITH THE IMAGES SHE GATHERED FROM THAT TIME.”
-JAKE KUZYK
60 METHOD
INTERVIEW WITH MIKAELA KAUTZKY
MIKAELA KAUTZKY
PHOTO: KENNEDI DECK
KENNEDI DECK, BOARDSLIDE
‘From the Bottom of One’s Heart’ was lovely from start to nish. What was this video like for you to make?
Thank you so much. That means a lot. I nd making a video a very strange process. You spend so much time hunched over a screen, thinking and overthinking it. It’s been really rewarding hearing people’s responses to it. You forget that it’s the rst time they’re seeing it because you’ve seen it so much. I’m an artist, so I make other work, but I nd this happens more so with videos than with other things I work on. I think because there’s so much screen time, you start to feel like an alien. It’s so di erent from lming when you’re in your body, in a space, in a moment. Then afterwards, you’re literally playing with retelling reality or something. I think *laughs*. Maybe that’s too Meta…
*laughs* No, I agree. I enjoy digging
into stu that deep, as long as you’re able to laugh about it too. So how did you end up making this lm?
I’m always taking photos and making little skate videos and things, but this was the rst full-length video I’d made. Tanner Pendleton was asked to make it, but he said he thought that someone else should make this one. I had made a small video before, and he and Jake Kuzyk asked if I wanted to do this. My connection to them was through Kennedi [Deck], who I was dating at the time, and is a big part of the lm. We actually broke up right before it came out.
Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.
That’s ok. Just the way it goes. Working with a partner is a whole other thing to navigate. But we worked really well together and continue to work together. So that’s how I got into snowboarding. I didn’t even snowboard before meeting them. I skied as a kid but wasn’t really that into it. I got into skateboarding in the last ve years. Then I learnt
to snowboard two years ago and learnt about snowboarding through the very peculiar lens of dating a professional snowboarder who’s also a queer snowboarder.
Sounds like you really dived headrst into the snowboard world. Yeah. To be honest, it was a very strange, surreal way of entering snowboarding. As someone who’s kind of an outsider to it, I feel very honoured and lucky to have gotten such a big opportunity so quickly. I’ve gotten to know snowboarding over the past couple of years, and there are people who have this as their entire community and interest. I feel like I’ve only recently stepped into it. And because of the proximity to people who do it for work on a professional level, I had access to all of these opportunities. So it was strange and amazing. At times I ask myself how I ended up making snowboard videos. It’s very random. *laughs* but I love it. I love the intersection of art and sport, so it kind of makes sense.
23.3 FROM THE BOTTOM OF ONE’S HEART 61
PHOTO [unless stated]: MIKAELA KAUTZKY INTRO: JAKE KUZYK INTERVIEW: THEO ACWORTH
JAKE KUZYK, BS WALLRIDE
RHYME LAHCENE, 50-50
What was it like working with these people?
It was amazing. The absolute privilege of Jake, Tanner, and Kennedi mentoring me through my rst fulllength video was so valuable. They’re so kind and a pleasure to work with. Jake and I are good friends now, and we would have breakfast and talk about videomaking in the geekiest way. We both talk fast and dive in so deep, and over-think things, which I really like when working with people. Tanner as well, being there the whole way and giving feedback, but also deeply trusting my vision and also admiring my work. It was amazing to work with them. I couldn’t be more
grateful. Finn Westbury was also really helpful.
What’s going on with the Seen Snowboarding crew, are there key people at the centre of it or is it a bit less de ned?
Everything with Seen Snowboarding is happening in real-time, so it was forming while lming. It’s not really at a place where it’s like, oh yeah, this our ‘all-queer-and-trans-group’ all living in the same place and interested in making a full-length video already. It felt like we were trying to gure out how to even go about doing that, who we were going to lm with and how we’d even host
meet-ups and where to go. We had a certain budget, and we wanted certain key people who have been connecting with Seen Snowboarding to be featured. We live in Vancouver, so a lot of Vancouver friends, queer snowboarders and community groups were naturally the ones who were in the movie the most. But there’s a lot of other work that goes into working with groups who aren’t currently included or have access to snowboarding and making sure they’re represented. Just getting people gear and boots and up the hill to a meet-up is hard, even if you’re friends with them already. So it’s work, but we have fun doing it.
62 METHOD
INES ALLARDINS
JAKE KUZYK, OLLIE
This might be sort of a long-winded answer…
I’m ne with long-winded answers. I get the impression that this is more than just a video and represents something much larger with much more scope. Yeah. To be given the task of making a well-rounded queer snowboarding video right now is quite a challenge because it doesn’t fully exist in that capacity in the same way it does with queer skateboarding. It’s not there yet. So much of this is in realtime. We had people coming up to us at the premieres telling us that they never wanted to snowboard before,
but now they really want to and are making plans to go this winter.
Being told as a lmmaker that something you created made someone want to try snowboarding is a really high compliment. Almost as high as it gets.
I know! That’s the best feedback I got, for sure. So I think the movie was part of a process of a bigger ten-year-plus plan of changing who has access to snowboarding. It’s just so expensive. You need all the gear and a car. There are a lot of barriers.
De nitely. The vibe of the whole lm de nitely made it look really appealing and showed a lot of snowboarding’s best attributes. Huge tricks and spots are cool, but they don’t necessarily make you want to grab a board and go outside and play in the snow, which is basically where we all started.
I guess it inspires di erent people. The best tricks inspire the people who are already paying attention to that community. I think this is for a di erent audience.
23.3 FROM THE BOTTOM OF ONE’S HEART 63
MIKAELA KAUTZKY
PHOTO: JAKE KUZYK
KENNEDI DECK, OLLIE
PHOTO: JAKE KUZYK
This is a very mixed-media video with lots of lovely hand-drawn titles and things. Did you know what you wanted it to look like before you started lming?
I de nitely had things I was inspired by visually. I always do. Some of those themes, like the hand-drawn thing, is connecting to my own personal experience of queerness. The whole queer childhood photo sequencing thing also speaks to this. Seeing a photo of myself as a kid and seeing me in a basketball jersey, tomboy style and sitting at an arts and crafts table… I’m literally dressing and doing that to this day. That was a very pure and true version of myself. I think about queerness and childhood as very intertwined and connected. Kind of thinking of
how I was as a teenager and a young adult and how I was responding to what the world was telling me I should be doing with my identity and expression. So I think the aesthetics of childhood and hand drawings is kind of a nod to that. I don’t know if other people feel that way, but that’s my own connection there. With this project and a lot of artworks that I make, I like participatory approaches where everyone is lming, and there are a lot of di erent lenses coming into it. Passing the camera around so people can lm in their own way gives multiple entry points. It’s sort of like the aesthetic of community.
That’s a really nice description.
But I also have my own limitations as a snowboard lmer. I literally learned
to snowboard two years ago, so I can’t really follow-cam at all. A little bit, but not at the pace I’d like to, and not at the pace that some things demand. So I would just pass the camera around, and people could represent their own close friends better. So there’s a lot of that too. It’s very much a team-made thing.
The whole video feels very intimate. Sometimes when people see a camera, a bit of a wall comes up between you and them, but when it’s just your friends with a handycam, it can actually bring more out. You can really feel that through the video. It seemed like everyone just felt very comfortable.
And honestly, behind some of the
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MARK GOODALL, PIPE DROP
moments, there were some very intimate times. It was a very personal thing. The Trollhaugen meet-up was actually very intense. It was pre-season in Minnesota, and it felt like all of street snowboarding was there. We hosted this meet-up, and it was really great to have all of these supporters, but it was incredibly overwhelming and not the most gentle ‘try snowboarding for the rst time’ sort of space. It was very fastpaced.
Snowparks aren’t an easy space to step into. Especially somewhere with a rope tow, things just move so fast, and everyone is so good. I literally ate shit on the rope tow in front of the entire Vans team with my camera bag and everything *laughs*.
So embarrassing. Everyone is just so nice though, so it’s mostly an internal battle.
What was your biggest challenge or learning while making this video?
I was dealing with my own personal anxieties while making this, and I know other people were too. So it de nitely wasn’t an easy and lovely process at all times. There was friction to make change. Also knowing how to structure that and story-tell was kind of a challenge. So much of what I was capturing was just moments rather than tricks. With classic videos, you kind of know what the tricks are and how to build a timeline, but with this, it was hard to know what to highlight.
The video was de nitely very free and owing and really did feel like a collection of moments. There’s for sure a formula to snowboard videos, but I honestly think that being newer to it is kind of a strength because that means you’ll be less con ned and can do whatever you think is cool. Totally. Also it was a challenge just trying to wave a magic wand and make a perfectly represented video in a world that’s just not there yet. There are so many little moments that are uncomfortable. But all of those were also balanced with joyful times as well. It was challenging but great and rewarding.
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MARK GOODALL, FS 50-50 FS360
LANDO BROWN
What was the most inspiring moment while making this?
Probably the Clark Park meet-up in Vancouver. It’s the footage to the dancey song on a kind of sloping park hill. That day was euphoric. It was so fun. We hosted two meetups to lm, one being in Troll and the other Vancouver. They were both so di erent, and I think we learnt a lot. They’re equally important. One is in a space that’s already an important engine for snowboarding, and the other is in a public park on a snowy day. That one just felt so much safer, and community focussed, where people literally learnt to snowboard for the very rst time. That was their rst day, it was free, and they just walked there from their house in the city. My friends in Vancouver run
something called ‚Takeover’, which is more focused on making spaces safer for Black and Indigenous people. They’ve mostly been doing skateboarding, but this winter, they were also doing snowboarding and they hosted some incredible meetups. We sort of teamed up in an uno cial way, and they brought a lot of their community too. So a bunch of people got free Vans boots and outerwear. Everyone was stoked. It was New Year’s Eve, there was fresh snow and sunshine, and people were learning how to 50-50 that little bench for the rst time. Everyone was just excited and cheering for four hours straight.
That feeling really comes across in the video, it seemed really pure.
I think every snowboarder can relate to that. That’s where we all started. Just going outside and playing around in the snow. You could tell that people were new to it and were experiencing the joy of it. Not many people can capture that or even think about capturing it.
I just thought that seeing footage of a certain individual, be it a queer black woman or a trans woman snowboarding, was way more badass and radical than a person doing another insane trick. For me, those are the bangers. Just given the context of what that means and who has access to what, that was sicker for me. At least that’s how I feel.
That’s rad to hear. It’s so nice to hear
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ANDREW
JAKE KUZYK
BEERMAN, BOARDSLIDE
your perspective on this movie. Thanks for talking to me about it. I probably should have asked you this at the beginning, but I’ll ask it now. From your perspective, what is Seen Snowboarding, and what’s it about?
I think it’s a network that’s trying to create more networks. It’s not
based in one place, and it’s changing depending on who can o er energy to it because it’s really a communitydriven initiative. It’s about welcoming more people, and creating connections and friendships too. I think by creating videos and having meet-ups, it’s trying to get more people to nd buddies or crews or
just discover boarders out there that you didn’t know existed who maybe look like you or have commonalities with you. It’s hard to pin down, but I think it’s about visibility, which is probably where the name came from. Just the power of visibility.
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ADAM PHIRI, 50-50
TAYLOR LEE CLARK
“I JUST THOUGHT THAT SEEING FOOTAGE OF A CERTAIN INDIVIDUAL, BE IT A QUEER BLACK WOMAN OR A TRANS WOMAN SNOWBOARDING, WAS WAY MORE BADASS AND RADICAL THAN A PERSON DOING ANOTHER INSANE TRICK. FOR ME, THOSE ARE THE BANGERS.”
How can people join and get involved with what ya’ll are doing?
That’s a great question. There isn’t always a solid plan, so I think it’s just best to follow on Instagram, and people can reach out that way. To be completely honest I’ve taken a slight step back from it. But I think just keeping your eyes peeled for meetups or following and connecting with other queer snowboarders from the network like the [Pink Dollar] Possy. The individuals who make up Seen Snowboarding and who have been at the meet-ups are all very welcoming.
Right on. Ok, I think we can wrap things up there. Thanks so much for taking the time to talk to us about this project Mikaela. The last words are yours:
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_presents _volume one fwapparel.com — @fw_gear Sevi VDM
hike mission to this place we call the 23.3
SKYLER GALLARDO
“Fountain of Youth”.
couple months ago in July on our annual
best style in the game. We shot this a
spot and destroy it with some of the
He can make literally anything into a
approaches to snowboarding out there.
again, Skyler has one of the most unique
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it
United States:
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SKYLER GALLARDOCalifornia,
So I think a special part about the Fountain of Youth is that it’s di erent every year. You never know what you’re going to get until you hike the ten miles out there. You then realize it’s all about the people you are with, the experiences you create and the memories you share. Skyler’s father Chris, is the reason we all go out there. For me ve years, others one, some ten in a row but for Chris, it’s been fourteen years since discovering it while exploring in the mountains. It’s a truly special place and I am always stoked to see photos from there ran in print. This year, the pondskim ended up actually being 2 pondskims, so this photo is Skyler ollieing pond to pond.
it looks like he’s blasting straight through the water and his 23.3 PORTFOLIO 73
energy can almost convince you he actually is.
SKYLER GALLARDO Same lake, same style, same Skyler.
SKYLER GALLARDO
One of my favorite shots of Sky from the Fountain. To me,
RENE RINNEKANGAS
Chur, Switzerland: In front of a crowd of 20,000 at Chur Big Air last season, Rene tossed up a at ground plant after his run to stoke the crowd out. That place was rowdy, they know how to party in Switzerland.
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capture it. No he did not nosepress to the end
a photo like this and I’m glad we were able to
this concept. We both always wanted to get
adjacent to this dock when we stumbled across
Lake Tahoe, United States:
NATE HAUST
and no he never fell into the water (close though). METHOD 74
We were just nishing up at another spot
ZEB POWELL - Mt. Hood - United States: I was getting these crazy re ections o my goggles and ran with it. Zeb just makes every photo look good, so again the timing just lined up beautifully for this.
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23.3
RYAN WACHENDORFER
Mammoth Mountain, United States:
This past spring, a beauty of a “sundog” backdropped the Mammoth halfpipe. I immediately found Ryan who I knew could toss up a nice invert and sure enough we scored a dream shot within 10 minutes. Sometimes it all just happens so quickly and out of the blue to line up just right like that. That’s why I love photography.
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LUCAS FOSTER
Mt.Hood, United States : Lucas is one of the US Snowboard Team’s top Men’s halfpipe athletes, blasting a giant method across a moody Mount Hood sky during spring training camp on the glacier.
RED GERARD, SEAN FITZSIMONS, BROCK CROUCH
Mammoth Mountain, United States : During Redbull Recharged all the boys brought their little 50cc’s to rip around. This day in particular they mobbed them halfway up the mountain to where the RB main tent was set up, through snow and mud, an absolute mess, it was amazing.
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UNTITLED 01 & UNTITLED 02 Pen on paper
By Baltimore Loth
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VITAMIN_______________________________________________________________________________
Talking about fear might be somewhat on the nose when it comes to snowboarding. I don’t know about you, but for me that nervous feeling never really disappears, no matter how much you progress. It stays with us as we push ourselves, and every time we go that bit higher, deeper or faster, it’s there for us to overcome. A big part of what hooked us is the feeling of overcoming it.
We call snowboarding a lifestyle because we plan our lives around it. We move to the mountains, spend all our money on it and give up anything in the pursuit of snow. We call it a lifestyle because it’s our life, but if that’s true, that fear that excites us can grow into a primal instinct for survival.
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Being injured, you fear losing your sport, your friends, your day-to-day, and some lucky ones might fear losing their income. You fear losing your whole life.
Ivika is one of the many snowboarders who knows this feeling. She’s aware that she’s been developing negative mental patterns ever since high school, all of which came to a boiling point when her body didn’t want to heal after three consecutive injuries over the past three winters, and the doctors warning her she might not be able to snowboard anymore.
Last winter, she started journaling and re ecting on her thought processes while lming. It seems like a lot of people are struggling with similar patterns after big injuries, and that’s why we decided to publish Ivika’s journal in the form of a photo book together with Club Sandwich. It’s not necessarily a “fun” read, but if it helps one person nd hope in a di cult time then this book is worth it.
The upcoming pages are extracts taken straight from Ivika’s journal, as well as re ections after the winter was over.
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INTRO, INTERVIEW & PHOTOS: TIM SCHIPHORST TEXT ON SPREADS 2 & 3: IVIKA JÜRGENSON
The past few years being injured and riding through pain have caused a bunch of mental issues for me that won’t let me ride spots the way I would like to. I’ve learned that there are some key things that are necessary for me on a day-today basis like antidepressants and therapy to have a clear mind, in addition to what works for me at the spots.
Visualisation: Before going on a trip I usually pick out a couple of spots that I’d like to ride. I usually visualise how I’m going to build the spot, the speed I need and the trick I’m doing. By the time I’m actually at the spot I’ve already built it in my head and ridden it a couple of times and landed the trick too. This helps me to prepare mentally for riding and keeps me a lot more calm. Going to a random spot in the morning and guring things out on the spot can result in worrying about all the little details and not being able to focus on my snowboarding.
Removing pressure: I really don’t like it when other people who aren’t our crew gather around to watch my rst try at a spot that I’m a little nervous about. I always ask people nicely to just go about their business and give me some space to concentrate without any extra pressure and say if they like to they can come back later. Some spots also add pressure if they’re busty, if there’s a lot of tra c or if the daylight is going away for example. So preparing and planning to avoid these situations helps creating an environment where it’s easier to focus on the trick. Plan busty spots at the weekend, avoid tra c hours and if there is not enough daylight I ask the crew if we can do it the next day instead.
Rest and diet: When you exercise you deplete glycogen from your muscles. Your muscles need rest and sleep to restock on glucose. Your brain is a muscle too. If I wake up unrested and have a heavy morning, I can guarantee it’s not gonna get easier when I start riding.
Co ee: Are there any problems a morning co ee doesn’t solve?
Crew: If I have doubts then it’s nice to have people around that you can talk to.
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Three try rule:
This is not really for at the spots but for getting over mental blocks with certain movements. I can’t remember where I read this tip in a book, but when I ride I give myself three tries to get over a mental block with a trick. If I can’t do it in three tries then I’m gonna stop trying this trick and do something else instead. Otherwise I’m just gonna mentally drain myself and go home frustrated at myself because I ‘failed’ again. And I’d bring that frustration back the next day, making the pressure to try it even greater. You can see how you can end up in a spiral this way. These three tries I really commit with all I have. Once I tried the trick and the mental block is gone, I keep trying as long as it takes.
Positive self-talk and mindset:
This is the most di cult one for me. The ‘what if’ thoughts are the hardest to control for me. My therapist gave me a good point the other day, she’s saying that I should try to be conscious about my thoughts, what’s a fact, what’s speculation. All of my ‘what if IT happens again’ thoughts are a speculation and I have no concrete information that ‘IT’ will happen again. So rather than thinking ‘what if IT happens’ I can channel my thinking process to ‘let’s see what happens’ attitude. Easier said than done, but this is something I’ve recently been working on. Another thing is associating similar circumstances to a previous trauma. For example if it would be snowing I would tell myself I’ll get hurt because last time I broke my elbow while it was snowing. It took a lot of work and a lot of time to create positive memories where I landed a trick or had a good day in snowy weather for example. Now that I have these memories I can tell myself that just because it’s snowing heavily it doesn’t mean that I will for sure get hurt. It’s di cult to turn negative thoughts into positive ones when it comes to getting hurt while riding. Negative self-talk is just our mind’s way to protect ourselves in a dangerous situation and has a positive intention.
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How was the end of the season compared to the beginning?
In the beginning, I felt kinda helpless. I was on this sinking boat shovelling out the water, but the water was coming from all directions. But it got colder, and the water froze *laughs*. I’d like to think that the journal helped. It was proof that the anxiety I had at the spot was misplaced. Having written exactly those words repeatedly after landing a trick showed that I can do it. Getting more and more shots was another visual proof that I can do things. The more proof I got, the more I believed in myself. By the end of the winter, there were spots that I really wanted to ride. I didn’t really have that feeling at the beginning of the winter because my anxiety and depression got in the way.
In the end, the season was really good. The best season I have had since lming Honey. By the end of the season, I had made a lot of progress compared to where I was in the beginning. I think the anxiety got less. At the end of the season, I recognised the old me in myself again, and it felt really good. I don’t know. I have high hopes that I can keep improving for next season and maybe become my old self again…
How has this journal helped you? Has it helped at all?
When I wrote things down, it gave me a di erent perspective. My inner voice tells me so many shitty things. There were so many spots where I was having anxiety attacks, but in the end, I did it. So reading back my thoughts after I’ve gotten over it proves that the initial fear was misplaced. While reading the diary, I can see a pattern. Once I went through all that, I could see what triggers me and what I should do to keep myself calmer.
Writing this in the summertime, what are some memories that stand out about last winter?
It was pretty cool that I actually got to speak to the police in my own language in Estonia. Trying to convince them to let us ride. It worked out so good! The amount of snow in Helsinki. I’ve never seen that much snow in Helsinki! Dominik’s cooking! And just having dinner with the crew every day after lming.
The blue downrail, because it was such a great day. Everything went so smooth, from picking the lock, moving the snow, and the support of the crew. I also really like the shot. Going to New York was so exciting. Seeing the Northern Lights while hitting a spot. Ice cream rewards after landing a trick. Talking to Venla in English-Finnish-Estonian hybrid language. She taught me the Finnish word for spider, and now I think about that trip every time I see one *laughs*. She was so scared of the spiders.
Is it safe to say that most of the memories from last winter that stuck with you are positive? Yes. I forget the negative. I guess that when I’m going through a di cult day, I should tell myself that a year from now, only the positive memories stand out.
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ROLLERCOASTER
23.3 VITAMIN 87
BOARDSLIDE IF YOU THINK THE PHOTO IS FUCKED, JUST WAIT ‘TIL YOU SEE THE CLIP
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23.3 89 OLLIE TO WALLRIDE
WHOEVER HAS A LITTLE BIT OF INTEREST IN TURNING A SNOWBOARD WILL ALSO FIND INSPIRATION IN SURFING. THOSE TWO ‘ARTS’ HAVE A LOT IN COMMON, AND SCORING GOOD WAVES AND GOOD SNOW ON THE SAME TRIP IS AN ULTIMATE GOAL, AND A BASIC DREAM THAT I’M PRETTY SURE APPLIES TO MANY OF US. BUT SUCH A COMBO DOES NOT PICK A PLACE
If you want to snowboard and surf in the same location, there are several options on this planet that can o er such a set-up. Most of them, however, would require compromises. Either the waves are not that consistent, the terrain is not so interesting, or the mountain and the ocean are simply too far apart from one another. There is one place in Europe north of the arctic circle that sometimes provides the magic. A place where mountains drop into the sea, literally. Norway, if we have to name it, is a pretty unique country. From the Sàmi people to the Vikings, there is a strong mysticism in how inhabitants interact with the wild environment. Located so far north on the globe, the window for light was our main concern. Fall is the best bet for waves, but you’ll only get a few hours of daylight. From April onwards, the days get longer, very long, even endless, but snow would melt faster. We needed to make a call. The Riksgränsen banked slalom kind of set the deadline for us. This year the event was supported by Vans, and we take this as a sign. A quick look at the map to con rm that Riks was right in the centre of our routes, and it’s been decided that we will end our journey in the land of the windlip on May 21st.
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WORDS : BRUNO RIVOIRE
PHOTO: MATT GEORGES/ARCTIC ROSES
COME EASILY. HAVING THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS ONLY OCCURS IN VERY UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES. RIGHT BEFORE VANS SENT US TO NORWAY, ALL WE COULD SEE ON THE WEBCAM WAS A LOT OF GREEN. THE SNOW-LINE WAS HIGH, AND THAT WAS NOT THE BEST OMEN. STILL, WE KNEW THAT WE HAD TO GIVE IT A GO AND SEE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN.
THE TEAM
We gather a crew of backcountry enthusiasts, open-minded and ready to dive into a frozen ocean. Enni Rukajärvi, Queen of Lapland, was the real local, even though she is based in Ruka, Finland. She was in Tamok right before our arrival and drove to the airport to pick us up. The only Norwegian in the crew was Alek Oestreng. It would have taken twenty hours for him to drive from Oslo, but still, we were guests in his country, so we never questioned his local knowledge, especially when it came to Norwegian rules. One of those rules being that no alcohol will be sold after 7pm or during the weekend. This really annoyed Severin Van der Meer, our Swiss backcountry wizard who enjoys a little Aperol Spritz after a long hike. Arthur Longo was also there to please our eyes with some magic. The icing on the cake was that we had two rookies on board, Wolle Nyvelt and Brian Iguchi. Their love for the big picture of snowboarding is vibrant, and we all rely on their experience. Overall, the whole crew get strong inspiration from one another. It was quite a big crew, especially when it comes to backcountry, but the team spirit was high, and we got to enjoy a human experience just as important as the riding itself.
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COLD WATER EXPERIENCE
We showed up with a storm, and on the rst morning, our cars get buried under powder. That was much needed, considering the lack of snow that frightened us on the webcam. We let the snowstorm roll over the “islands” with some surf missions. For the surf rats, the excitement was real. And we came prepared: 6.5 mm wetsuits, surfboards, extra grippy Vans surf booties... and eyes on the forecast. The rst surf was a classic 1,5 feet onshore, nothing to be too excited about. That’s where Wolle and Sevi proved us we were wrong. Within ve minutes, both are running on the snowy beach. It’s overwhelming to walk in the snow with a surfboard. Your subconscious is clamouring for summer, beach, palm trees… it’s so unusual that it’s even hard to process. But you get used to it. And on the next session, you are already fully focused on the surf itself. And surf we get. Even though this famous Norwegian surf location is not to be considered a secret spot anymore, it still felt to us like the end of the world. The water is silver,
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WOLLE
pure, but cold. It’s about 6 degrees. You don’t get really cold unless you get caught inside and have to duck dive more than once. The worst part is to change in the parking lot. It’s windy and freezing. You will need to be quick and get help from your friends to get rid of all the neoprene.
None of us are pro surfers, but you can tell that guys like Sevi, Wolle or Bryan are committed to this craft. We also have some good attempts from Arthur “Longboard”, Alek and Enni, and it felt pretty crazy to share the lineup in such an environment. Sur ng requires a lot of time, and we dedicated ve days out of ten on the rst trip. It was sometimes hard to decide whether we would go snowboarding or sur ng. But you know it, with sur ng you just can’t get enough.
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ARTHUR
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ARTHUR BRUNO
EARN YOUR TURNS
Snowboarding was also very appealing. There are just so many options. From the road, we’ve been “mind sur ng” all those lines, but rst, we needed to hike to get our share. Even though we’ve all done splitboarding from time to time, this approach remains unusual for the crew. A four-hour hike to get the rst glimpse of a face became our routine. And this turns out to be very demanding when it comes to content creation. I mean, it’s cool to go splitboarding with your homies, and that’s what we tried to keep as a mindset. But it’s a totally di erent deal to be sent to Norway as a crew to produce A-grade snowboard shots.
And guess what, we experience a lot of failures. Getting smoked by the cloud, snow cooked, wrong area, avalanche dangers… we did it all. Ending the day with zero clips is a bit frustrating, especially for our media crew. We’ve got to give some props to our team of artists: German lmmaker Alex Tank, Belgian backcountry rookie Willem Jones and French photographer Matt Georges carried the heaviest backpacks but never lost their faith.
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WOLLE
ALEK & ENNI
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We truly enjoyed our long days up there on our own. But we also enjoyed our Aesmo session in the parking lot. As a rider, this balance of action and contemplation is sometimes hard to nd with splitboarding. But those trips goes beyond the action itself. The landscape literally took us. At every turn of the road, our minds were blown by the sight of those peaks dropping into silver fjords. This place is no joke, really unbelievable.
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GUCH
ARTHUR
ALEK
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23.3 ARCTIC ROSES 101 ALEK ARTHUR
THE 24-HOUR SESSION
We ended up doing two trips and spent a month above the Arctic Circle. On the second trip, we nally touched our grail. Thanks to our friend Jeppe Rontti that helped us with extra surfboards and so much more, we got to experience the craziest day ever. A 24-hour riding mission on Friday the 13th of May. At this time of the year, the sun only disappears for a few hours, but it simply never gets dark.
We surfed a beautiful A-frame all day and all night. The whole sky was pink, you could drink the water out of the river, dolphins cruising by the shore, wild reindeer running on the beach, tea on the re pit... a real little paradise. Surfed out, we decided to hike the chute right above the wave at 2am. From the summit, a panoramic view reveals some endless snow lines and islands popping out of the fjords while we took a run towards the sunrise back to the shore. Absolutely epic.
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GUCH
23.3 ARCTIC ROSES 103 WOLLE ENNI
CATCHING AIR
After all this hiking, Alek Oestreng wakes up and announces to the crew, ‘I feel like I could throw my body in the air today’. This marked the turning point of the trip. A quick stop in the misty forest of Tamok valley, and we are on our way to Riksgränsen. The rst chairlift felt like heaven after all those splitboard missions.
It feels also very good to connect with an extended Vans family: Rene Rinnekangas, Nils Arvidsson, PJ Gustafsson, Blake Paul, Boggs, Ingmar Backman, Abbe Hjellström… just to name a few. Even though the resort is pretty small, the terrain is super fun, and its reputation is totally deserved. If the weather is on your side, which is the most tricky concern, you’ll get to experience this windlip paradise 24 hours a day.
By cruising in Riks during their annual bank slalom, you also get to understand what this location means in the short history of snowboarding. We get to ride iconic spots with legendary riders, and the snowboard culture in general felt very much alive. But that is not the point of our story. Turning our boards in the bank slalom also felt like we completed the circle. Coming back to the root of snowboarding, that are surely in sur ng… unless it was skateboarding?
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RENE
23.3 ARCTIC ROSES 105 ALEK
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SEARCHING FOR ARCTIC ROSES
Anyway, to wrap up this story, I would say that sur ng and snowboarding on the same trip has been a dream come true. We only scraped the surface of the arctic possibilities, but we were already blown away by what we experienced. If you’re really down to commit some time and e ort to navigate this territory and weather, you’ll get to surf perfect waves and snowboard down some of the most beautiful mountains the earth has to o er.
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GUCH
ARTHUR & WOLLE
“TRAFIC” is our fourth lm. An intergalactic document which aims to keep the hype on snowboarding, VX lming and showing people how dangerous life is between heaven and hell. We made our rst video six years ago, called BUN BO NAM BO, and we still love to eat this dish. Then came ATLANTIS 600 when we traveled through the Milky Way and landed in KD HOSTEL, which was our last lm. And then a three year break. But we didn’t sleep at all. We are adults and that brings adult obligations. At the very beginning it was much easier to get the whole crew together. We also were bigger and fooling around. Gido was there, Alex Tank rode our boards for a
while, so did a lot of homies. We also supported Dimi and Anton and everything was going very well. KILLDEATH looked like a serious brand. But these days it’s kind of di cult to drive the whole thing as a serious snowboard brand. First things rst, feed your family, keep a regular job, and then fun.
Snowboarding in our area also isn’t too popular. At least the snowboarding which we do, destroying public property. The board production also got complicated when prices and quantities for production got higher. The factory doesn’t want to accept such small orders, so I had to gure
something out. One dude who I knew from the factory is making custom boards. It worked somehow and he made us 25 hand-caressed boards. The most important is focusing for lming and supporting people who are in this with me. Cisi and Mata who have been there from the bottom 1%. Also new youth Jendrek, who is joining us next season.
The rst year, Cisi and Mata were lming with bunch of homies. Pony, Dan, Ondra, Darek. Those dudes are always around what we really appreciate. They were lming in small Czech cities, unfortunately the snow conditions were too bad. It was clear that it would not be enough for
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MATA VERIFIES CLIP WITH ALEXIS AND JOAKIM, THESE GUYS HELPED US A LOT, MAD LOVE.
CISI BS50 50. THE WHOLE OF HELSINKI WAS UNDER SNOW AND THIS PLACE WAS COMPLETLY CLEANED. BUT WE THOUGHT WE’D DO IT ANYWAY.
WORDS: RADIM HOVAD
PHOTO: ZBYNĚK BLAHUTKA
a video. To be precise, our season starts in mid-January and ends in March. Snow conditions are mostly a week long. The second year, my babysitting was over and I had rejoined them. Trust me, 5cm of snow is enough for us to lm, but snow conditions in Czechia were fucked again. Especially for dudes who didn’t even hit pre-season park laps. The COVID thing made a mess, snow resorts were closed, thank God we could at least move in the streets.
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SOME SQAURE IN VANTA, FIGHTS BETWEEN SHOPPING CUSTOMERS, SECURITY PROBLEMS WITH US, WIERD PEOPLE AROUND, BUT WE STILL DID A COUPLE OF SPOTS THERE.
THE PRIEST’S CAR WAS CONSECRATED BY US
First stop was at Brno and other cities around there. Mata with his girl own a beautiful co ee-skate place in Brno, called SPOT [@spot_brno]. You can taste good co ee, skate a concrete bowl, listen to live music or buy some skate/vintage stu . You should try if you come to Brno. We spent a couple of days there, but the snow didn’t last long. We spent almost all of our time on one kinked rail. Rays of hope came when Prague
got snow for at least one week. This happens once every ten years. We did a couple of spots, also our homie Dan joined us. But he took a bad head slam and it made us a little blocked. Fortunately he was ok after a medical check, and we were three people again. Then we moved to Libirec & Jablonec nad Nisou. The homies Darek and Shy are always there to help. These are probably the most famous Czech snowboard cities. Awesome places but already a little bit played out in terms of spots. We were already lming there many times. These cities lie 5km apart and are under the mountains, and it is the area where there’s often the most snow in winter. After this winter, we knew that we still needed one more year to get enough footy.
Last season, it was either all or nothing. we didn’t even have snow in Czechia, that didn’t surprise me. All the snow probably fell in Scandinavia, and that brought an idea to the o ce table. Because we have support from VANS Europe, they o ered us budget for a trip. After six years of Killdeath life, we’re crossing the border of Eastern Europe. The destination? Helsinki. That meant COVID tests, but CISI was positive, so moving the date of the accommodation, renting a car, all that work before we could even leave. We were late-night calling each other, like kiddos going on their rst trip without their parents. But fuck it, we did it. There are many local riders, crews from around the world coming there every year. We wanted join to the club so much. We drove by car, then ferry. When Cisi had his turn to drive, he was so excited to get there that he got a speeding ticket in Estonia.
On this trip we took Jendrek. I picked him up at the bus station where I actually saw him for the rst time, he only had a small backpack and had a vintage coach jacket with him. I knew he is the right guy. And when we got to know him, it was clear that he had to join KD. His instant noodles dinner won our hearts. We had a crew of three riders, then me lming and the photographer was Zbyňa. We really appreciated his help with shovelling, rolling veggies and especially shooting dope photos. Finally we got someone who can capture it.
METHOD
CISI HARDWAY FS 270
THIS ROOF DROP COSTS MATA HIS SHOULDER. UNFORTUNATELY HE DIDN’T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO RECOVER AND COME BACK.
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MATA ON ANOTHER COMBO SPOT.
MATA , VX OPERATOR.
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TOP: CISI GOES ALL IN FOR THIS FS50-50 IN CZECH REPUBLIC
BOTTOM: HOMIE PONY DROPS A WOODEN BEAM
CISI FUTURE
NEW KILLDEATH BLOOD “JARDEK” JENDRZEJ. WALL TO WALL UNDER THE CHURCH TOWER
Mata dislocated his shoulder two times during this trip, which is normal. Cisi tested the new board properly with a gap to clapping board, also normal. And Jendrek fell between us so quick that I thought I’d know him for a long time already. The weather was similar to home. Raining, snowstorm, little bit of sun and raining again. We knew we had such a short time ahead of us that we had to ride everyday, even in a snowstorm. We spent half of the trip in accommodation in the centre where snow was melting faster but it was still enough to ride, and the second half of the trip we slept in Vantaa, only 15 km from the centre and it was full of snow. After the storm passed over us we didn’t have to worry about snow conditions until the end of the trip.
And because Helsinki is a famous spot since the time JP did a 450 onto a rail, we were not surprised when we already met Dominik Wagner, Sebi Springeth and their crew on the rst day. They did a spot straight in
front of our apartment. Imagine, we arrived in Helsinki late at night, and when we woke up the next day a bit late, I checked the view from the window and I see someone building a spot down there. That double down ledge was really dope. I knew that was Dom and the crew, so I wrote him a message from the Killdeath account saying “ I see you” and sent a picture from our view. I think Dom was pretty confused and they started looking around. To make things worse,
when we were moved to the Vantaa apartment after couple days, I was parking the car next to Dominik’s car. I started to feel stupid. It looked like we were following them, but it was all a coincidence. Also a couple of days later I found out that a crew from the ESCAPE lived in this block too. There’s probably someone who focuses on renting to snowboarders in Helsinki.
*If someone really wants to buy a board, I can sell pre-order. 75% in advance. DM @KILLDEATHSNOWBOARDS or CALL 1-900-BUY-OUR-BOARDS-WE-NEED-MONEYFOR-EXPENSIVE-OUTDATED-MINI-DV-CAMERAS
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WE SPENT ALL DAY AT VANTA SQUARE ‘TIL NIGHT. FENCE RIDE CLOSED THINGS OUT.
“THE FIRST TIME I MET KEVIN IGNACIA WAS AT THE MUNICH AIRPORT WHEN HE DROPPED OFF HIS GOOD HOMIE KEVIN TRAMMER. TRAMMER AND I WERE ABOUT TO GO ON A VANS TRIP TO RUSSIA, AND I REMEMBER KEVIN BEING VERY HUMBLE AND THINKING WHAT A GOOD HOMIE HE IS TO DRIVE HIS BUDDY ALL THIS WAY. A FEW YEARS LATER, OUR PATHS CROSSED AGAIN IN INNSBRUCK, AND WE CONNECTED. HE’S A GOOD SKATEBOARDER, A GOOD LIFE ENTHUSIAST, A LITTLE BIT OF A FASHIONISTA AND AN OVERALL NICE DUDE TO HANG OUT WITH. HE’S JUST STARTING TO EXPERIENCE THE PROCESS OF FILMING SNOWBOARDING AND GETTING AFTER IT. I’M EXCITED TO SEE WHAT HE WILL BRING INTO SNOWBOARDING’S WORLD IN THE FUTURE.”
Where did you grow up, Kevin?
I grew up in Delft, between Rotterdam and Den Haag. It’s a small city that looks a bit like Amsterdam. Lots of canals and bridges.
It sounds cute. It is.
How did you get into snowboarding?
My mom was always online looking
for coupons and stu , and she found one that was an hour’s snowboard lesson for two people. So she asked if my younger brother and I wanted to do it. We would sometimes ski, so at rst we said no because we were happy with that, but then we tried it, and it was cool. She got us a year’s pass and gear. We’d go four times a week or something to the indoor.
Which dome were you riding?
We started riding at De Uithof, in Den Haag.
When did you start connecting to the snowboard scene there?
It took a while… My brother and I would always go together, and we were kind of the new guys. There was a super tight pack of dome guys there who were already doing tricks, and we thought that was pretty cool. But they were not so nice to us.
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50-50 TO BACKLIP
PHOTO: TATU TOIVANEN
They cool-guyed you? Not really… It was more like, ‘Who are you guys, and what are you doing here?’. So it took us a while to get into it. And I had a bigger mouth than my brother, so I was like, ‘Fuck you guys’. They would give us shit about our old gear. My sister used to snowboard, and I’d ride her old boots, and they’d give me shit about those too. It was like a fashion show. My brother was thirteen, I was fteen, and the other guys were around the same age or a bit older.
That’s de nitely an age range where people can be really shitty. Yeah, and we were also easy to pick on because we looked di erent. They’d make racial slurs and stu at us like ‘Look, a black guy on a snowboard, make a wish’. What the fuck. They said because it’s so rare to see a black guy on snow that, you can make a wish when you see one.
Dude, that’s fucked up. That must have made you feel seriously isolated there. Luckily I always went with my brother, but it was shitty to experience something like that.
Was there anyone there who had your back or was speaking up and supporting you?
I had two friends there, Nina and Isabella, they were really nice. And another guy called Jordi. But the others I never really got along with. But then De Uithof had kind of a breakdown, the park was shit, and the snow was really bad, so we started riding Snowworld Zoetermeer. Then when we came back to ride Uithof sometimes, those original guys started giving us shit about riding
the other dome, saying we were rich kids and stu . Man, we just liked snowboarding and wanted to get better at it.
That sounds like a lot of really shitty energy being directed at you.
Yeah. But it was just between those two domes. If you look and Landgraaf where Jesse [Augustinus] rides, it’s pretty chill there. No one
Indawood was riding there, and he came up straight away and said that he’d never seen me riding there before and said what’s up? This is a big guy in the Netherlands, and he’s not bitching about my board or anything and is just asking how I’m doing. That was de nitely a better dome to be in. Everybody was just nice, and we really felt good there. They’d have training for the Dutch team once a week or something, so it was a really di erent environment to the city dome where people would just come on their bikes and then judge you based on what you were wearing and telling you that you couldn’t join in.
That sounds like a much better space to be in. How did you deal with that sort of negative energy?
I always found a way. If you want to waste your lives bitching about me, go ahead. I was just having fun and snowboarding. My sister gave me her iPod, so I would just put music in and couldn’t hear anything, even if they were saying it. And I was always with my brother, so we were always together. But you might go there thinking you’re going to have a sick session, then someone makes one shitty comment, and it just brings you down. I wouldn’t say it heavily a ected me, but why do that? Just shut the fuck up.
asks you who you are or where you’re from, not like a city dome.
So when you moved to the new dome did you feel it was more welcoming?
When we rst went there, we’d see all the guys from the videos that we were watching from the dome scene, which was cool. Anthony
That’s really gnarly, dude. Sorry to hear that that’s something you have to deal with.
Those guys were always lming and literally telling me no, I couldn’t join. I dressed a bit di erent, and I thought maybe my style sucked or something.
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Did that ever change? Did you ever manage to cross that boundary? Yeah, whenever they would say stu , Anthony would tell them to shut the fuck up. He always had my back.
That’s rad that he made a real e ort to speak up for you. People would listen when he said stu . Not just letting the homies laugh along with the joke at the new guy because he’s di erent.
Good to hear. So I wanted to ask you about helmets. Have you always worn them? They really seem like part of your vibe.
When you’re a kid, you do what your moms say, and my moms told me to wear a helmet, so I did. I moved to Austria when I was nineteen, and before that, I’d been sort of o the helmet for a year because we were lming a lot, and I’d always see shots of people without helmets and thought it looked way cooler, so I also did it. My moms said they saw clips of me riding without a helmet and that my beanies looked cool, but they’d prefer to see me in a helmet, and would it be ok if I wore one? I guess that was about ve years ago, and I promised that I always would, even if it’s slushy. Now it’s just part of me. Even at Moonpark, where we’re shaping ourselves and know it’s safe, I’ll still wear it. I kinda like it. I feel really good with it. It’s just my style, and I’m not gonna change it.
I de nitely think of it as part of your steeze.
It also makes me feel better when I’m trying a new trick or something. The odds that you fall on your head are small, but it can always happen. Anyone that says their head isn’t made for a helmet or they can’t nd a t, there are so many helmets on the market. I wear skate helmets mostly. They’re light and a bit slimmer.
I think it’s cool that you do it because your parents asked you to, and you listened. Sounds like you have a good relationship with them. They’re the best. They’re super cool and really open. I have two moms, and they’re not like any other moms out there. I know everyone probably says that, but even my friends say it. They say that they’re really welcoming and you can always come and eat at our place. They’re super supportive
and let us do what we want. Like when I was nineteen and Anthony said I should go to Austria and snowboard in Mayrhofen for a season. I told my moms, and they said, ‘Ok, that sounds cool, go do it. They’re really cool.’
Any good life lessons they taught you or things that you’ve learnt from them? Maybe it sounds cliché, but having two moms, I think you grow up respecting women a lot more. They always told me things to do and things not to do if I ever had a girlfriend. That I should always be respectful and stu like that. But they also taught me about just being open and having the con dence to do what I feel like doing in life. Like if homies ever come to Innsbruck, letting them crash on my couch and stu . So I think just treating other people how you’d want to be treated.
That sounds like a good perspective to have. So you’ve got two younger brothers and an older sister. Are you all pretty tight?
Yeah de nitely. My sister’s super cool. She’s ve years older, and my brothers are two and a half and ve years younger. My moms are a bit older, and my sister is teaching them a load of new things. One of them didn’t want to wear a dress at her wedding, she said didn’t feel like it. She recently went to a museum about LGBTQ stu and afterwards said that maybe she was just gender neutral. I thought that it was pretty rad that she was able to say something like that at her age.
That is rad.
My sister is also really protective of me and always took me to cool places in Amsterdam with lots of POC so that I wouldn’t feel alone. Also telling me places to avoid if they were just some racist hoods or something. She’s de nitely been a big in uence on me, and she knows a lot about racism and is always there for me. If someone discriminates against me, I would always call my sister before my mom. Then we can both rage about it. My mom would say, ‘Oh that’s really mean’ whereas my sister would say, ‘That’s fucked up’. At that moment, that’s what you want to hear. She could always see that snowboarding was a white-dominated sport and always asks me how things are going in Austria. She’s really caring and wants to know that things are ok.
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BS
PHOTO:
THEO ACWORTH
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BACKLIP
PHOTO: MARTIN LÄSSER
BOARDSLIDE
PHOTO: MARTIN LÄSSER
How is your day-to-day experience in Austria?
I feel good and supported bymy friends, but by the people in Austria, not at all. It’s di cult sometimes. I’m not really hanging out with older Austrian people, so maybe their only experience of POC is what they see in the media. When they see me walking or skating on the street, it’s something new for them, because they’re only used to seeing everybody white. There’s this old lady who lives on my block, and for some reason, she just hates me and is always mean to me. She has a big dog and once told me that she was going to set the dog on me.
Are you serious? Jesus, dude. That’s actually super crazy. I was walking with a homie just playing with a ball, and the dog freaked out. I said sorry, and she said that if it happened one more time, she would let the dog loose. So, of course, I did it one more time just to piss her o . And I told her that if she did that, then I’d call the cops, and they’d put the dog down. There are also times when I walk past some of those small bars in Innsbruck and just don’t have a good feeling because people just stare at me.
Damn, dude that’s fucked up. And a gnarly experience to have on a daily basis. I can’t imagine what that’s like.
Yeah, always the constant fear that someone might mentally hurt you by saying something, even if they don’t know you. But always at these small bars, or if I’m just pushing on my skateboard, old people on the streets are yelling at me. I don’t know what they yell because I can’t always hear them, but it’s probably bad. I’m skating, which is bad, and I’m also a POC on a skateboard, so it really hits them. It’s pretty rough. I think the craziest thing that happened to me was someone giving me the Hitler
thing, the Nazi salute.
Seriously?
Yeah.
That’s beyond fucked. I’m so sorry to hear that.
That was one of the rst times when I really asked myself what the fuck I was even doing here. I was just walking at night, and I got pretty scared. Straight up Neo-Nazi shit. The situation with the lady with the dog was crazy, but this guy? He was only maybe twenty-eight or something.
Fuck, I thought it might have been an older guy, but someone that young? That’s insane.
Yeah, and he was with a group of friends, so I got super scared.
That’s awful mate. It sounds like a pretty crazy contrast between the snow/skate scene which is pretty open and becoming more aware of systemic racism, and the wider Austrian society, which quite clearly isn’t.
Yeah, it’s pretty crazy. You have a good day on the mountain, then come down and get yelled at.
Do you see yourself staying in Austria?
No. No chance. It’s nice, but I’ve lived here now for ve years and I think I’ve seen enough.
We have some of the best access to the mountains, but if you have to deal with bullshit like that, I can’t imagine why you would want to stay. You get bad people anywhere, but…
But there are a bunch of them here. Once, I wasn’t allowed into a bar. That actually happened. I was with Dennis Ranalter, and we were doing this little bar-hopping tour. He asked if we should go to one spot, and I told him I’d always got a weird feeling
when I passed it. He said let’s get a beer, why not. The guy then told us, ‘Sorry, it’s a private party today’. People next to us were getting in with no problem. White people. The guy said that we could stand outside and drink a beer if we wanted, but kind of in an annoyed way. I’ve never felt that uncomfortable before in a bar. I asked Dennis why we were doing it, and he said that now, we were just doing it to provoke him, which was kind of cool. So we nished the drinks, and the guy asked if we were leaving. We said no, we’ll take two Aperol Spritz, please.
That’s a boss move, but horrible that this still happens in 2022, in a city with 140k people. I know we’re in the mountains, but Innsbruck isn’t a village.
Yeah, and it’s always portrayed as a sporty and student city, so I think people should act like it too, instead of telling us that we can’t enter a bar because of our skin colour.
Do you see any progress being made or a way forward?
It’s de nitely something I think about as I deal with racism a lot. I think it’s like an illness. People just don’t know what’s out there, and they see it, and they’re afraid of it. It’s just all out of fear. They look around and see there are more of them than there are of us, so it’s really easy to pick on people or say something that their friends think is funny but is hurtful to me. I hope it’s going to happen less here in Innsbruck, but I don’t know. It’s hard to say.
In terms of the action and outdoor sports community, do you feel like there’s been progress elevation and representation of POC?
Yeah. I think it’s becoming more of a thing, and I see more and more POC from all around trying to ski and snowboard and not feeling excluded, or just being active outdoors.
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You’ve been modelling a bit recently, and we’ve been doing commercial shoots for brands like Adidas Terrex. How do you feel being a part of these shoots for these huge brands and knowing that they’re trying to diversify their representation?
I spoke about this with Ymi [coworker and co-model]. Sometimes it’s a bit cringe. An Asian girl and a black guy as a couple doing mountain stu … But that’s also totally normal, and we should be able to do that. Of course these brands could have started doing this way earlier, but at the same time, it’s cool. And maybe younger and more diverse people out there who look like me will see this stu and think that it’s possible for them to do these things too.
Hope so. Is the modelling something you see yourself doing more of?
Acs from The Distillery in Innsbruck keeps asking me, so I guess I’m doing something right. And it means I can a ord to go and do fun stu . I would hustle in the bar and wasn’t sure how I could take the time to
go on a longer trip. But now, in two days of shooting, you get pretty well paid, which means that I can do more trips. It’s really nice and really helps me out. I don’t always have time to model when I’m asked, but I always make sure I get it! I never expected to do something like this. My mom always told me I should do something with modelling, but I think everyone’s mom says that.
I think mine did too.
But now it’s actually happening I think I should try it more. Get a portfolio together and send it out a bit.
I remember you were a bit stressed about the rst shoot we did for Terrex because you’d just started getting gear from Vans. Is that still something you stress about?
Well, I haven’t told Bruno [Rivoire, Vans TM] yet… but the shots aren’t part of big campaigns, sometimes they’re just for B2B [business to business]. And the money that I get from it means that I can snowboard more. So it’s not really a bad thing for Vans. I hope they’re happy about it.
100%. If you were actually modelling Adidas snowboarding gear then that would be a bit di erent, but we’re doing stu like trail running and hiking, which is a totally di erent market.
Yeah, and if it was normal snow outerwear, I just wouldn’t do it. I’d rather miss what I would earn modelling than miss out on the gear and support from a brand like Vans.
How’s the balance between work and lming going?
Last winter, I was working twenty hours a week in Kater [Innsbruck bar], but I think I’m going to cut it down to ten. Last winter, we had Kurzarbeit [Austrian COVID support], so you weren’t allowed to work, but you got paid. I wasn’t really supposed to, but I went on a twoweek trip to Finland with Escape. Kater was totally cool about it. I just have to inform them early enough if I want to go somewhere. But if I only work ten hours, that’s much easier to manage.
Is this the rst winter you’ve been on a proper street trip?
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Yeah. I always tagged along on stu and got some single clips here and there, but this trip was sick and got me totally hooked on street riding. We had two dumps in Helsinki, which made it really fun. We were there for two weeks, and we could literally ride everything we wanted because there was so much snow. I didn’t get too many shots, but for a rst trip, I got some stu I’m proud of.
How did you end up getting linked to the Escape guys?
Gian [Sutter] would stay at my place when he came to the park openings in Austria. He came with Dario [Burch] once, and they mentioned that it would be cool if I lmed with Escape. I thought it would be super cool, but then we stopped talking about it. Then he came again and left me an Escape sweater on my bed when I left, so there was no way back. I went to Helsinki, but in the end, none of the guys that I knew were on that trip.
Who was there?
It was Lou [Staub], Amon [Eisenmann] Martin [Lässer] and
Lionel [Merch]. I’d met Amon over Instagram, but I hadn’t met any of the others. Flo Fischer was also there. I was kind of alone and super nervous at rst, just happy that I was able to join. But after a few days, it was all good and easy.
You got plans to shoot some more with them?
Yeah, I hope so. It’s a super fun crew. I was always a bit nervous at the spots, but Lou would just tell me that it was all good, that I got it. I feel like I can do more and I want to do more, so I hope there’s another winter with Escape.
So you’re getting some new support from K2 as well as Vans. Do you have a plan about where your snowboarding is going?
For now, I’m just rolling with it. Trying to do the best that I can and get some more out of it, but I don’t have a desire to be a pro snowboarder. That would of course be sick, but I want to do more so that I can get more. Maybe go to the US and lm and ride a bit there. But I’ve got no real desire to get my name on a board. As long
as it stays fun, that’s ne. Look forward to seeing where it goes. Ok, the last words are yours. I want to give a big shoutout to my moms. My sister Liza, my brothers Djeno and Sandro. Bruno from Vans and Sebi from K2. Acs from Distillery. You. My girlfriend Johanna for motivating me on the more di cult days. And a big shoutout to Anthony Indawood for dragging me through it all, telling me I should lift my middle nger up, go out and go snowboard. Without his help in the beginning, I would not be where I am. It sounds cliché, but I wouldn’t. Also a big thanks to Benny Urban for taking me everywhere, always calling me and picking me up to go to spots or Moonpark. Those two are the guys who made me realise that I should do it, and kick ass.
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PHOTO: TATU TOIVANEN
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Annika Morgan, probably hungover and trying to hide it behind her sunglasses.
PHOTO & CAPTIONS: THEO ACWORTH
Fischi, protected.
Reira Iwabuchi reacting to the footage of her rst cab triple, lmed by her coach Lee Ponzio.
Judd Henkes.
The Nines setup for 2022. Words don’t quite do it justice, it really has to be seen to be believed.
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The man who worked in this restaurant looked like Ron Pearlman, and he hated all of us. We hated him right back.
Matej Svancer and Annika Morgan representing the mysterious Generation Z.
Markus Cleveland’s Birkenstocks at 3000m.
Last year it was -20, so -14 on the rst day actually felt pretty mellow. Luckily things warmed up as the week progressed.
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Lu Krister, site boss and lovely human.
Johnny Morandi, surrounded by 6k and holding it down for 1080p.
Fridge, hula-hooped out for the night at the Alaïa Chalet.
Finn Bilous and Sam Pilgrim. A pro skier and pro mountainbiker, partying together in the same room as a bunch of snowboarders, media crew and event sponsors. It doesn’t really matter who you are or what you do at The Nines, we’re all just there to have a good time. Finn also loves Method. Yeah Finn.
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Tess Coady, frothing.
Kaito Hamada. Two pairs of glasses and an in atable crown. Legend.
Valentino Guselli, tuckered out.
Schneestern & Helvepark crews, just getting started as we were nishing up. It de nitely wasn’t the rst time they went straight through ‘til dawn, and it de nitely won’t be the last. These guys are absolute machines.
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Judd Henkes & Luke Winkleman. Style MVPs and uno cial record holders for most weed smoked in a 24 hour period.
Haunted by the ghost of castles past.
Mia Brookes crushing parks, and the dance oor.
I’d been shooting with Valentino most of the day and he’d been charging non-stop. He was getting ready to head down the mountain, then he heard there was a sunset/night shoot and decided to stay up with us and get some extra shots with us. I like this kid.
Henry
was tasked with recording the times for all the heaviest tricks so that the lmers could easily nd them later using timecodes. This is him recording the time for Hiroto’s mind and body-bending 2160 that you all had so much fun talking about.
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Sophie Acworth. Her job is hard to de ne, but the event wouldn’t really work without her.
Henry Jackson only smashed one glass that night, but it looks like he probably wanted to smash more.
Evidence of shaping.
Jackson
You never quite know what you’re going to get at The Nines, but you can guarantee it’s going to look cool. This bowl feature worked perfectly, too.
Leica Q2 Monochrome. Its image sensor is designed without colour lters, meaning this camera is dedicated to shooting strunningly rich black and white photographs. I’m in love.
If you nd yourself winning a rider-voted award at Nines, or if it’s your rst time there, at some point you are expected to drink out of your shoe. Usually this happens on a stage with everyone chanting ‘shoe’ at you. I don’t know how it started, but I know I’ve never done one, and I know I never will.
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online & in >70 shops in six countries
Snow
Surf | Skate
Pic: Filip Zuan
| Blue Tomato Team Rider: Yanneck Konda
WORKING IN CANADA HAS BECOME A BIT OF A BREAD AND BUTTER SCENARIO ON THE MOVIES THAT THIS CREW HAS BEEN MAKING OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS. ONCE THE BORDERS OPENED UP, WE KNEW WE’D BE SPENDING AS MUCH TIME AS POSSIBLE FILMING AMONGST THE PRISTINE TERRAIN THAT WE HAD BEEN SO PRODUCTIVE IN DURING WINTERS OF THE PAST. WHILE WE B-LINED TO INTERIOR B.C. AND GOT SOME GOOD STUFF, THE MAGIC HAPPENED IN THE COASTAL RANGE. THE GLACIERS OF THE GREATER WHISTLER AREA PROVIDED, AND WE PICKED UP MOMENTUM WHILE TEE-ING UP SOME OF THE BIGGEST AIRS SHOWCASED IN THE FILM. MOTHER NATURE KEPT US ON OUR TOES AND OUR HIGH-PRESSURE WINDOW CLOSED OUT, WITH THE SUN NEVER TO RETURN. AFTER A HEAVY RUN OF DOWN DAYS (AND NIGHTS UNDERGROUND), THE CREWS SHIFTED EYES AND OBJECTIVES TOWARDS ALASKA FOR ONE LAST HURRAH - HOWEVER, THE FIVE DAY RUN IN OUR REARVIEW WAS 100% THE MOST PRODUCTIVE OF OUR TWO YEARS FILMING FOR “FLEETING TIME”.
- AARON BLATT
METHOD
MIKEY CICCARELLI
PHOTO, INTRO & CAPTION WRANGLER: AARON BLATT
“THE CREW WE HAD IN WHISTLER WAS ALL-TIME. SHORT TIME FRAME WITH THE WEATHER, BUT THE CHEMISTRY OUR GROUP HAD WORKING IN THE MOUNTAINS FOR THOSE FIVE DAYS WAS UNMATCHED. SO LUCKY TO HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO HELP CREATE THIS FILM. HAD A BLAST WORKING WITH EVERYONE ON THE CREW. EVERY ASPECT WAS AN AMAZING LEARNING EXPERIENCE, AND I’M SUPER GRATEFUL.”
- BEN FERGUSON
23.3 FLEETING TIME 135
BEN FERGUSON
“ZOI PINNED IT TO CANADA FOLLOWING HER OLYMPIC WIN IN CHINA, WON THE BALDFACE STOP OF NATURAL SELECTION AND WENT STRAIGHT INTO THIS RUN OF HIGH PRESSURE IN WHISTLER. IT WAS REALLY HER FIRST TIME ON A CREW WORKING IN THIS FASHION WITH THE SNOWMOBILES. SHE TOOK TO IT SO QUICK, SUCH A FAST LEARNER - IT WENT FROM SORTING OUT HOW TO STAND ON THE MACHINE TO RIDING TO THE FAR REACHES OF THE GLACIERS IN A MATTER OF A FEW DAYS. BY THE END OF OUR WINDOW, SHE SEEMED SO COMFORTABLE WITH ALL ASPECTS OF THIS TYPE OF SHOOTING - SHE WAS A STEADFAST MEMBER OF THE CREW WITH SHOTS IN THE BAG TO PROVE IT.”
- AARON BLATT
136 METHOD
ZOI SADWOSKI-SYNNOTT
“QUICK STORY BEHIND THAT FS 360 PHOTO… I WANTED TO HIT THAT AIR FOR ABOUT TWO DAYS. THE FIRST DAY, I WAS LAPPING BEN UP TO THIS HALFWAY POINT ON MY SLED, AND THEN HE’D HAVE TO HIKE OVER THE MOUNTAIN TO THE DROP-IN. THE FIRST DAY I WAS TOO SCARED TO HIKE UP BECAUSE THERE WAS SO MUCH EXPOSURE ON THE BACKSIDE, BUT BEN ALREADY HAD THE BOOT PACK IN, AND HE HAD ALREADY HIKED IT MAYBE FIVE TIMES. I WAS JUST SUPER NERVOUS AND IN MY HEAD ABOUT IT UNTIL THE SECOND DAY WHEN WE THANKFULLY CAME BACK, AND I WAS LOOKING AT THE HIT FROM THE BOTTOM. I FINALLY JUST GOT OVER MY NERVES AND HIKED UP IT… IT WAS SUPER MELLOW AND KIND OF ONE OF THOSE THINGS YOU LOOK BACK ON IT AFTER AND ARE KIND OF LIKE, OH, THAT WAS SO CHILL. GLAD I PUSHED THROUGH AND WAS SUPER HYPED TO GET THE FRONT THREE, ONE OF MY FAVORITE CLIPS FROM FLEETING TIME.”
- RED GERARD
23.3
RED GERARD
“BEING A LITTLE GIRL FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, WHO GREW UP WATCHING FILMS LIKE THIS, TO BEING IN FRONT OF THE LENS AND SEEING EXACTLY HOW THESE MOVIES ARE MADE HAS BEEN ONE OF THE COOLEST EXPERIENCES I’VE EVER HAD. I GAINED A FIRST-HAND LOOK AT HOW EVERYONE FILMING TOGETHER IN A BACKCOUNTRY SETTING WORKS IN UNISON. RIDERS, FILMERS, AND PHOTOGS ALL WORKING TOGETHER TO CREATE THE PERFECT SHOT. I FEEL REALLY FORTUNATE THAT I’VE KNOWN EVERYONE FILMING IN FT FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. I BELIEVE IT’S WHAT HELPED MAKE THESE NORMALLY LONG, STRENUOUS DAYS SO MUCH FUN. THE NIGHT BEFORE, I WOULD LOOK FORWARD TO EARLY MORNING PARKING LOT BANTER, ASKING SOMEONE FOR OIL BECAUSE I FORGOT TO BUY MY OWN, ZOI ALWAYS BEING THE FIRST ONE READY TO GO AND RIPPING OUT OF THE LOT, SEEING HOW MANY TIMES PEOPLE WERE CHAINSAWING TO COOL DOWN THEIR SLEDS UP THE CAT TRACK, AND INEVITABLY, WAITING FOR EELES AT THE ALPINE BECAUSE HE STOPPED TO HAVE A SECOND BREAKFAST AND COFFEE. IT WAS MOMENTS LIKE THESE, IN BETWEEN WHEN WE HAD OUR HEADS DOWN TO BUST ASS AND GET SOMETHING DONE, THAT MADE THIS A MUCH DIFFERENT GROUP DYNAMIC THAN I HAVE EVER BEEN A PART OF. AND, OF COURSE, THE DAY WOULDN’T BE OVER UNTIL YOU HEARD RAFE ROBINSON SAY, “IT’S TIME TO GET THE FUCK OFF THIS MOUNTAIN.”
- HAILEY LANGLAND
138 METHOD
HAILEY LANGLAND
HAILEY & JUSTIN EELES
“BEN WAS CLEAR ABOUT WHAT KIND OF MOVIE HE WANTED TO MAKE. AN EXTREMELY TALENTED PRODUCTION TEAM AND EXTREMELY TALENTED SNOWBOARDERS MADE THIS MOVIE WHAT YOU SEE NOW. FROM RIDERS TO PRODUCTION, THE CREW DYNAMIC WAS NOTHING BUT POSITIVE. HAVING NO WEAK LINKS ON A CREW MAKES IT VERY EASY TO TURN IDEAS INTO REALITY.” - JUSTIN EELES
23.3 FLEETING TIME 139
DONKEY KONG VIBES 50-50 WALLRIDE TO FAKIE .
JANI TELATIE FULL CONTACT, NO ESCAPE BS WALLRIDE PHOTO: TATU TOIVANEN
PHOTO:
BRUST IN FULL EFFECT OLLIE IN & OUT PHOTO: TATU TOIVANEN
THE ORIGIN OF THE TRICK NAME ‘ALLEY-OOP’ IS AS FOLLOWS: A YOUNG SKATER NAMED AL [OR ‘ALLEY’ TO HIS FRIENDS] DID A BACKSIDE KICKTURN WHILE CARVING FRONTSIDE IN 1978. HIS BUDDIES ON DECK THOUGHT THAT THE TRICK WAS RARE, OR ‘OUT OF PRINT’ IN ANTIQUARIAN BOOKSELLER’S TERMS. HENCEFORTH, THE TERM ALLEY-OOP STUCK. ALLEY-OOP BACKSIDE RODEO 720 NOSEGRAB
PHOTO: ALEX ROBERTS
POP SHUVIT, WHAT ELSE?
[NIELS WOULD YOU LIKE YOU TO IMAGINE THIS BEING SAID BY GEORGE CLOONEY, LIKE HE DOES IN HIS COFFEE ADS]
POP SHUVIT
PHOTO: JÉRÔME TANON
GO FAST, DO TURNS
PHOTO: AARON SCHWARTZ
FS 50-50
SLINGSHOT, ENGAGE
PHOTO: JUHO VARJOKALLIO
STAY WOP
FRONTBOARD
PHOTO: TIM SCHIPHORST
WE WONDER WHAT PHILLIP WOULD HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THIS?
[YES WE KNOW IT’S NOT ACTUALLY HIS PARK, THERE’S NO POSSESSIVE APOSTROPHE AT THE END OF HIS NAME, BUT STILL, WE LIKE TO IMAGINE HIM SOMEWHERE, PROBABLY FROWNING]
SWITCH FS LIPSLIDE PHOTO: MIKE HEIKKILA
HELLO THERE METHOD MAG
READERS AND FELLOW SHREDDERS OF SNOW. I’M MILES FALLON, AND I AM GOING TO TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT A QUIKSILVER TRIP CALLED ‘SURF THE MOUNTAIN TOUR’ EUROPE EDITION. LEADING UP TO THE TOUR I WAS ON A STREET TRIP FILMING FOR A PROJECT WITH BRYDEN BOWLEY AND A FEW OTHER STUDS. WE ATE EASTERN EUROPEAN CUISINE AND CAUGHT SOME NORWEGIAN VIBES, ALL WHILE STACKING CLIPS. THEN SUDDENLY, IT WAS TIME TO FLY TO GERMANY AND EMBARK ON THE TOUR. TOUCHING DOWN IN MUNICH, I WAS GREETED BY THE GREAT MANU, A SPANISH CONQUISTADOR WHO IS ALSO THE SPANISH TIGER WOODS. TOGETHER, WE RIPPED IT FROM THE AIRPORT TO THE HOTEL, WHERE WE MET WITH GRIFFIN SIEBERT, WERNI STOCK, AND HARRISON GORDON. WE GATHERED THE TROOPS AND RALLIED TO A LIL QUIKY SHOP WHERE WE PREMIERED SOME VERY GASSY CLIPS OF THE SQUAD AND WELCOMED WERNI TO THE TEAM. WE HAD DANK FOOD AND WEISSBEER. THE VIBES WERE HIGH, AND LIFE COULDN’T GET ANY SWEETER… UNTIL THE NEXT DAY OF COURSE, WHEN WE WENT SURFING IN THE CITY. YOU’RE PROBABLY ASKING YOURSELF, ‘HOW THE FUCK DID THEY SURF IN MUNICH, GERMANY!?’. WELL, THE ANSWER IS QUITE SIMPLE: THERE IS A RIVER WAVE THAT FLOWS BEAUTIFULLY BUT VIOLENTLY UNDER A BRIDGE THAT CREATES THIS LIL POCKET OF ENERGY THAT PEOPLE SHRED THE SHIT OUT OF. WE WERE BROUGHT THERE BY LOCAL LEGEND TAO WHO IS PRETTY MUCH THE RIVER WAVE GOAT. IT WAS REALLY COOL TO SEE HOW THE PEOPLE OF MUNICH CREATED THIS SURF COMMUNITY ALL AROUND THE RIVER. PROVING THAT NO MATTER WHERE IN THE WORLD YOU ARE, IF DETERMINED, ONE CAN ALWAYS FIND A WAY TO SURF YOUR OWN MOUNTAIN.
THE NEXT DAY WE FINALLY GOT TO SURF AN ACTUAL MOUNTAIN AT SKIPARADIES SUDELFELD. WE MET UP WITH THE LOCAL GERMAN SHREDDERS AND TOOK OVER THE SLOPES. THE VIBES AT THIS HILL WERE IMMACULATE. AT THE LODGE, WE WERE BLESSED WITH A GERMAN COVER BAND THAT WAS RIPPING GUNS AND ROSES, WHICH LOW-KEY HIT HARDER THAN THE OG. WHILE JAMMING OUT, I WAS HANDED A RADLER. I TOOK A SIP OUT OF THE GLASS BOTTLE, AND MY TASTEBUDS WERE FOREVER CHANGED. FOR MY FRIENDS BACK IN AMERICA, A RADLER IS A DELICIOUS ELIXIR THAT IS COMPOSED OF BEER AND LIME SODA, AND IT JUST HITS DIFFERENT. TO END OUR TIME IN GERMANY, WE HAD ANOTHER LITTLE PREMIERE AT A SHOP IN MUNICH WITH MORE GOOD PEOPLE AND EVEN BETTER VIBES. WITH BELLIES FULL OF RADLER AND GOOD MEMORIES, WE PACKED FOR AUSTRIA.
150 METHOD
PHOTO: PHILIPP HUBER
WORDS: MILES FALLON & HARRISON GORDON
23.3 SURF THE MOUNTAIN TOUR 151
GRIFFIN SIEBERT
MILES FALLEON
WERNI STOCK
OUR FEARLESS LEADER
MANU GOT THE GANG TOGETHER AND INTO THE VAN, AND OFF WE WENT. SINCE WE HAD THE AUSTRIAN GOAT WERNI WITH US, I KNEW THE SEARCH FOR POW WOULD BE SHORT AND SWEET. AFTER SOME NAPS IN THE VAN AND SOME TASTY LEBERKÄSE SANDWICHES, WE MADE IT TO THE ZILLERTAL VALLEY, WHICH WAS HOME TO SOME OF THE MOST IMPRESSIVE PEAKS I’VE LAID MY SWEET EYES ON. BEING A KID FROM THE JERSEY SHORE, THE SCENIC VIEWS OF THE VALLEY LEFT ME IN AWE. SO GRATEFUL TO GO ON TRIPS LIKE THESE WITH GREAT PEOPLE AND SEE THE BEAUTY OF MAMA EARTH. WE THEN ARRIVED AT MAYRHOFEN, HOME TO WERNI. IT WAS SO RAD TO SEE THE FIRST HILL HE SHREDDED DOWN AND TO MEET HIS FAMILY.
WERNI GREW UP WORKING IN THE FAMILY HOTEL, WHICH IS PIMP BTW, AND WE WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO EAT SOME GRAUKÄSSUPPE AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE WORLD-CLASS WELLNESS CENTRE AT THE HOTEL. AFTER SWEATING THE CHEESE OFF IN THE SAUNA, WE WERE PREPPED AND READY TO SHRED SOME POW-POW. THIS MOUNTAIN IS FATTY, AND FOLLOWING WERNI AROUND WAS A FULL-BLOWN WORKOUT. I STILL DREAM ABOUT ALL THE SIDE HITS AND BEAUTIFUL FACES WE SHREDDED. WHILE GRIFFIN WAS HIKING THIS STEEZY LIL’ LINE HE FOUND, HARRISON AND I LOOKED FOR SOME AIR TIME. WHILE LOOKING AROUND WE JAMMED TO SOME MUSIC, ATE CHOCOLATE AND BUILT A LIL KICKER. IT WAS A FUN SESSION, BUT DURING THE BUILD WERNI HAD SOME FAMILY STUFF TO TEND TO, SOMETHING ALL OF US HAVE TO DO AT TIMES, BUT HE MADE IT BACK TO THE HILL BEFORE THE SESSION WAS OVER. AND WHEN HE CAME BACK, HE WAS LIVELY AND STOKED. IT TURNS OUT HE AND HIS WIFE WERE GOING TO HAVE A BABY. NO BETTER WAY TO CELEBRATE THE NEWS OF BEING A FATHER THAN CATCHING SOME AIR TIME WITH THE SQUAD.
POW SQUAD
WERNI STOCK
AFTER A BEAUTIFUL SESSION WITH THE CREW, WE HEADED DOWN TO THE HOTEL. WE ENDED THE DAY AT MOREBOARDS, SIGNING SOME POSTERS AND SHOWING SOME VIDS THAT GOT THE LOCAL CREW HYPED. THE NEXT DAY IT WAS FINALLY TIME TO HEAD TOWARDS FRANCE FOR THE NEXT STOP OF THE TOUR. BUT BEFORE WE LEFT THE VALLEY WE HAD TO STOP AT ÄSMO HQ AND COP SOME POW SURFERS. ON THE WAY TO FRANCE WE STOPPED IN INNSBRUCK FOR A QUICK SKATE AT LANDHAUSPLATZ. IT WAS SUPER FUN TO GET A STRETCH IN AND SKATE THE ICONIC ZONE BEFORE GETTING BACK ONTO THE ROAD AND HEADING TO FRANCE.
HARRISON GORDON IS GOING TO CONTINUE THE STORY OF SURF THE MOUNTAIN TOUR AND WILL WRAP THINGS UP IN HIS OWN WORDS ON THE NEXT PAGES!
SURF THE MOUNTAIN TOUR 153
MILES FALLON
MILES FALLON
AVORIAZ IS A WEIRD CHRISTMASY VILLAGE TUCKED AWAY ON A MOUNTAINSIDE WITH HORSES AND BUGGIES PULLING PEOPLE AROUND AND BEAUTIFUL SCENIC VIEWS. A BIG PART OF THE MYSTIQUE OF THIS PLACE FOR ME IS NICO DROZ. NICO IS THE QUADRUPLE OG OF THIS PLACE AND FRENCH SNOWBOARDING IN GENERAL. HIS INFLUENCE WAS FELT ALL THROUGHOUT SNOWBOARDING DURING HIS PRO CAREER, NOT ONLY FOR HIS TALENTS ON BOARD BUT HIS FUNNY, KIND AND GENEROUS NATURE. NICO IS THE REAL DEAL, AND IT WAS A HIGHLIGHT OF THE TRIP TO JUST BE IN HIS PRESENCE. THE SNOW WASN’T GREAT WHEN WE GOT TO FRANCE, BUT ON A TRIP LIKE THIS, IT REALLY DOESN’T EVEN MATTER. WE ALSO HAD SOME OF THE FRENCH QUIKSILVER SQUAD SHOWING US AROUND, LIKE MATHIS BOZZOLO AND HUGO SERRA, SOME SERIOUS RIPPERS WHO I APPRECIATED RIDING WITH AND GETTING TO KNOW. THE HIGHLIGHT FOR ME WAS DEFINITELY SEEING THE VIBES AT LA FOLIE DOUCE. AS AN AMERICAN THERE IS SOMETHING SO SPECIAL ABOUT APRES SKI, AND LA FOLIE DOUCE IS PRETTY FUCKING WILD. THE PLACE WAS PACKED FULL OF TOURISTS FROM ALL OVER, PARTYING SUPER HARD. IT’S 3 PM, AND THERE’S A DUDE CLIMBING AROUND FROM THE BALCONY PLAYING THE SAXOPHONE. NATURALLY, WE HAD TO CHECK IT OUT BEFORE THE SUNSET PARK SHOOT, AND I’M SO GLAD WE DID. AFTER A FEW APEROL SPRITZ’S, SOME DANCING ON TABLES, AND EVEN A COUPLE GIRLS FALLING IN LOVE WITH MILES, WE DECIDED TO JOIN THE REST OF THE SQUAD IN THE PARK AND RODE OFF INTO THE SUNSET.
THE NEXT STOP WAS CHAMONIX. UPON ARRIVING MIDMORNING, WE OBSERVED ABOUT TWENTY OR THIRTY HUMANS PARAGLIDING IN EVERY DIRECTION. WE WERE MET BY FATHER-SON DUO LILIAN AND LIONEL BINET. LIONEL IS A GUIDE IN CHAM AND A REALLY IMPRESSIVE SNOWBOARDER. IN ONLY A DAY OF SHREDDING HE EFFORTLESSLY SHOWED US AROUND THE MOUNTAIN TO EVERY SIDEHIT AND SPRINGY LAUNCH PAD AVAILABLE. SEEING HIM AND HIS SON RIDE TOGETHER WAS REALLY COOL. THE BOARD CONTROL AND EXPERIENCE WAS OBVIOUS IN EVERY TURN AND AIR, AND MADE A
METHOD
MILES FALLON
LASTING IMPRESSION ON US ALL. THE TERRAIN THERE IS SUPER STEEP AND INTENSE. IT’S OBVIOUS WHY PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD FLOCK TO CHAMONIX TO HAVE THE RUNS OF THEIR LIVES, AND I HOPE TO MAKE IT BACK SOMEDAY WITH BETTER CONDITIONS. THAT NIGHT WE STOPPED BY THE BOARDRIDERS SHOP IN TOWN FOR SOME BEERS AND A LITTLE VIDEO SHOWING. AFTERWARDS, WE WENT OUT TO GRAB SOME FOOD AND CHECK THE LOCAL BARS. MILES MET A GIRL [OUR WAITRESS AT DINNER] AND FELL IN LOVE. WE GOT TO HANG WITH ARTHUR LONGO AND OLIVIER GITTLER, WHICH WAS ANOTHER HIGHLIGHT OF THE TRIP FOR ME. OVER THE YEARS THEY’VE BOTH BEEN SPENDING A LOT OF TIME HERE, AND THEY ACTED AS OUR NIGHTTIME GUIDES FOR THE EVENING. OLIVIER’S ENERGY IS EXCITING TO SAY THE LEAST, AND OF COURSE, ANYTIME YOU GET TO SEE ARTHUR IN THE FLESH, IT’S AN ABSOLUTE PLEASURE.
23.3 SURF THE MOUNTAIN TOUR 155
MILES FALLON
LIONEL BINET
TRUTH BE TOLD, THE GEOGRAPHICAL ORDER OF OUR TRIP WASN’T AS CLEAN AS THIS ARTICLE’S LAYOUT SUGGESTS. WE ACTUALLY LEFT AUSTRIA AND DROVE TO LAAX BEFORE HOPPING BACK IN THE VANS AND MAKING THE TREK TO FRANCE. THE RIDERS HOTEL WAS ALL BOOKED UP THAT EVENING, SO WE SETTLED FOR SOME MUCH HUMBLER ACCOMMODATIONS AT A HOSTEL IN TRIN. THE NEXT MORNING WE HAD APPROXIMATELY THREE HOURS TO SHRED IN LAAX, WHICH WAS HEAVENLY, BUT NOT NEARLY ENOUGH TIME TO GET TO KNOW IT. LAAX TRULY IS A SNOWBOARDER’S PARADISE, AND I HAVE TO MAKE IT BACK THERE SOMEDAY BECAUSE I DIDN’T EVEN GET TO SEE YUNG DOLI’S BAR.
AFTER NEARLY TWO AND HALF WEEKS, WE WERE NEARING THE END OF OUR LONG AND WINDY ROAD. TWO VANS PACKED WITH PEOPLE, GEAR, AND GAS STATION SNACKS. QUIKSILVER HAS A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ALAÏA GROUP, AND THE FINAL STOP OF THE TOUR WAS UPON US, INCLUDING A BIG MEETING WITH REPS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD, DESIGNERS, AND US. WE FOUND OURSELVES IN ALAÏA LODGE AND SHREDDING CRANS-MONTANA. THE PARK WAS IMMACULATE AND PRETTY MUCH EMPTY. IT FELT LIKE WE HAD THE PLACE ALL TO OURSELVES UNTIL WE BUMPED INTO THE METHOD MAG CREW OF THEO, FRIDGE, MARKUS OLIMSTAD AND MORITZ AMSÜSS, WHO IS SICK. THAT EVENING, WITH A MASSIVE CREW IN TOW, WE HAD A BIG DINNER OF RACLETTE AT THE BASE OF THE MOUNTAIN, FOLLOWED BY AN EVEN BIGGER NIGHT OF DRINKING IN TOWN AT A PLACE CALLED MONKEY BAR. THE NIGHT WENT SMOOTHLY FOR THE MOST PART, AND EVEN THOUGH NOT ALL OF US ELECTED TO GO OUT THAT EVENING, IT WAS A PERFECT WAY TO BLOW OFF SOME STEAM AND CAP OFF A BIG TRIP.
156 METHOD
GRIFFIN SIEBERT
23.3 SURF THE MOUNTAIN TOUR 157
HARRISON GORDON
GRIFFIN SIEBERT
THE NEXT MORNING CAME WAY
TOO SOON. OUR BELOVED TEAM MANAGER, EMILY, HAD BOOKED US A SESSION AT THE WAVE POOL FOR 10 AM. FOR THOSE OF US WHO DID PARTY THE NIGHT BEFORE, THE TIMING WAS LESS THAN IDEAL. I’M NOT AN EXPERT SURFER BY ANY MEANS AND HAD NEVER BEEN IN A WAVE POOL PRIOR TO THIS, SO MIXING IN A SAVAGE HANGOVER AND DEHYDRATION WASN’T BODING WELL FOR MY NERVES. WE BARELY MADE IT TO THE SAFETY MEETING EXPLAINING THE DO’S AND DON’TS OF THE WAVE POOL, AND THEN SPLISH SPLASH, IT WAS TIME FOR A BATH.
AFTER SOME SERIOUS STRUGGLING AND TWO FAILED ATTEMPTS, I CAUGHT A WAVE. IT WAS A TRULY GRATIFYING EXPERIENCE. SO GRATIFYING THAT I CAUGHT TWO MORE AND PADDLED IN TO ENJOY THE SAFETY OF DRY LAND AND DRY HEAVE FOR A BIT. THE INTENSITY OF THE WAVE POOL WAS REALLY NOT THAT BAD, AND AS I LAY THERE ON THE GROUND WITH MY TEAMMATES FEELING VERY ILL, I FOUND PEACE.
SPECIAL THANKS TO EMILY, MANU, PHILLIP, PERLY, ALL THE SHOPS/PEOPLE WE MET, GAS STATION PRETZELS AND SNACKS, SCHNITZEL, AND ALAÏA LODGE/BAY FOR THE WONDERFUL HOSPITALITY.
158
MILES FALLON
HARRISON GORDON
160 METHOD 23.3
“DON’T CRY BECAUSE IT’S OVER, SMILE BECAUSE IT HAPPENED.”
— Dr. Seuss
PAPA LEBLANC & BABY SCHUBERT
PHOTO: OLI GAGNON
PHOTO — JESSE DAWSON
RÚNARSDÓTTIR
YLFA
Newly redesigned for 24/7 comfort and performance because you don’t want to stop just when it’s getting good.
RENE RINNEKANGAS SAYS HELLO
PHOTO: TATU TOIVANEN
